


The Start of Something New

by gray_autumn_sky



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-10
Updated: 2017-06-18
Packaged: 2018-08-07 19:47:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 30,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7727527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gray_autumn_sky/pseuds/gray_autumn_sky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robin, Regina and Maleficent enter into a new sort of arrangement.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Are you _sure_ you don’t mind?” Regina asks, looking at Robin through the mirror, watching as he lies back on the bed, watching as she finishes getting ready. He props himself up on his elbow and a small smile twists onto his lips, as his eyes linger over her—admiring the tight pencil skirt she’s wearing. “I mean, I know I’ve been…seeing Mal a lot lately.”

To be fair, that’s somewhat of an overstatement and though she realizes that, it doesn’t stop the soft pangs of guilt she feels as she watches Robin through the mirror. 

Over the past few months, she and Mal have met a handful of evenings for drinks. They’ve met for lunch here and there—and sometimes Robin joined them—and every now and then, Mal had been invited over for dinner. The three of them got on well, and the kids—particularly Roland—enjoyed the stories that only a fire-breathing dragon could tell. She fit into their lives easily and despite the sordid past she shared with Maleficent there wasn’t any awkwardness there with her and Robin—and if there was, he didn’t let on.

“Of course I don’t mind,” he insists, his eyes moving up to meet hers in the mirror.

“She’s just been so…lonely lately,” she tells him with a little shrug. “With Lily taking that job in Boston and…”

“I understand. You don’t owe me an explanation,” he interjects with an easy smile. “She’s your friend, Regina. You never seem to mind when I go out for drinks with the Merry Men, so why would I mind that you’re going out for drinks with Maleficent?”

“Well, she and I will be alone and…”

“And I am not seeing a problem,” Robin tells her plainly.

She nods and feels her shoulders tense a bit as she turns to face him and leans against the edge of the dresser. “Because, it’s…just…different with Mal,” she says, not entirely sure why she feels the way she does. He arches his eyebrow at her reply and a smirk form on his lips. “You and John and Will were never lovers.”

“That was a long time ago…”

“Not really,” she counters. “That night we spent together in my vault was less than a year ago…”

Robin chuckles softly, “Well, I’ll give you that one…”  

He shrugs his shoulders dismissively—he’s known about her past with Maleficent for quite some time and he knows all about the brief little affair they’d had while he was in New York. When she told him about it—one dark night in Camelot—he’d been relatively unbothered by it and she’d been surprised that all he had to say about it was that he was glad she’d had someone to comfort her while he was away. She nodded and cuddled in closer, grateful for his understanding and good nature. And when they’d returned to Storybrooke and they ran into Mal at Granny’s, it had been Robin who’d greeted her and introduced himself, shaking her hand and smiling warmly.

He sits up and holds his hand out to her and it takes only a moment for her to cross the room. He reaches out, pressing his hand to the small of her back, drawing her in as he looks up at her. “And I suppose it’s lucky for you that I am not the jealous type.”  

“I am lucky,” she agrees, smiling down at him as he pulls her close.

“Look, the last few months have been stressful for all of us,” he begins. “Our little foray into the Underworld notwithstanding, you have a stressful job where an entire town depends on you, you have friends and family who are constantly finding themselves in the strangest sorts of trouble, and we have three kids at home who…”

“Who I am leaving you alone to tend to…”  

“Regina, relax,” he cuts in. “If you’re feeling guilty about me being left to take care of _my own children_ , you shouldn’t,” he tells her with a light chuckle behind his words. “Besides, Henry and I have made plans of our own while you’re out for the evening. It involves a lot of greasy food and root beer and a stack of DVDs that I know very little about, but judging by the covers, wouldn’t be your cup of tea.” 

“Okay, fine. I…won’t feel guilty about it, then.” A grin twists over her lips, “Especially when the alternative is to be ignored all evening by my family.”

“See—you going out with Mal tonight is a win-win for all of us.”

She laughs as little and pushes her hands over his shoulders, leaning down and brushing her lips over his, and smiling as hands slide down over her ass, rubbing gently over the fabric of her skirt. She sucks softly at his bottom lip, nipping gently as she leans into him. She pecks at his lips and then pulls back, offering a regretful smile for having to end it then.

“I told her I’d meet her at eight and it’s already seven thirty,” she tells him as she withdraws. “So, I should go.”

Grinning, he pulls her back to him and stands. His fingers slide into her hair and his lips capture hers, pulling her into the sort of kiss that would almost certainly lead to more if she weren’t on her way out the door. He pulls back and she lets out a breath as her cheeks flush. “I want you to have a good time tonight,” he reminds her. “No guilt, okay?”

She nods and feels a fluttering in her stomach as she smiles at him. He offers her a little wink, then steps around her, leaving her to finish getting ready…

_____

Regina arrives at the Rabbit Hole only a few minutes after eight and Mal is seated at a table on the patio in a secluded little corner. Regina smirks a little as she watches her, sipping on a martini and staring off into the crowd. Her legs are crossed and her hair is pulled back into a low bun at the nape of her neck, and she looks so regal and poised…and beautiful.   

Taking a short breath, Regina pushes herself forward and joins her at the table, tipping her head curiously as she takes a seat in front of two untouched drinks. A grin twists onto Maleficent’s lips as she informs her that the drinks are for her—the ones she missed while Mal waited.   

At that, she laughs a little and takes a long drink of the first martini—and Mal flags down the waiter to order another.

She drinks the two martinis quickly and Mal slows down, taking small sips as they fall into a comfortable conversation. Mal asks about the boys and the baby, and she asks how Lily’s new job is going—and then, it goes on from there. By the time she finishes her third drink her head is getting a little fuzzy and her laugh is getting louder, and Mal still seems so cool and collected. 

“Do you remember that one summer,” Mal begins as she smiles over the rim of her glass. “That…little game we used to play?” Regina’s lips purse as her eyes meet Mal’s—she does remember, but can hardly find the words to admit it and she’s somewhat caught off guard by the mention of it.

Since ending their affair all those months ago, when Robin returned from New York, they haven’t talked much about that part of their lives, when all those years before, in another time and in another place, they’d found solace in each other—and with solace came comfort and pleasure, fun and mischief, and even a sense of belonging.

 

“I just…found myself thinking about that today,” Mal says with a dismissive shrug as a sly smile tugs at the corners of her mouth. “That first time it was the thick of summer and so hot, and so much like tonight.” Mal continues as she watches as Regina shifts in her seat, likely knowing—and enjoying—that she’s struck a chord.

“And what exactly prompted this little bout of nostalgia?” Regina asks, her brow furrowing in curiosity. “That was…a lifetime ago.”   

“It was,” Mal agrees, almost regretfully, as she turns to look at the crowded bar—decidedly ignoring Regina’s question as her smile deepens.

There’s an odd stirring at her core—a swirl of feelings she can’t quite decipher—as she remembers…

That first time had been such a good night and Regina was feeling light and dizzy, and completely unburdened. She and Mal had been drinking in celebration of the summer that was before them—because for the first time since her marriage, Regina would have a taste of freedom. Leopold and Snow would be summering in a neighboring kingdom, and she had been left behind.

They’d found themselves in a seedy little tavern, just on the outskirts of the kingdom, both drunk and inhibitions waning—and it was then that Regina made the off-handed comment about being glad not to have to warm the king’s bed for a couple of months. Mal’s eyebrow had arched, and she’d laughed a little—they usually didn’t talk about Leopold, much less the duties Regina was expected to fulfill as queen—and then Regina confessed that the worst part of it all was how boring and unsatisfying it always was for her. Her cheeks had flushed slightly as Mal casually inquired if that meant she’d never had an orgasm when she was with a man, and when she shook her head in response as Leopold was the only man she’d ever been with. A mischievous grin formed on Mal’s lips, and she told her that tonight, they were going to play a little game.

Regina had gone along with it, despite flushed cheeks and trembling hands. They ordered more drinks and scanned the room and spent some time looking around the tavern, picking out the men they found attractive. That first time, they spent awhile doing this—trying to find just the right man, someone they guessed would be able to properly satisfy the both of them as well as speculating why.

When they’d picked their choice, Mal had approached him—flirting shamelessly and gesturing back at Regina with a wry smile that made her stomach flutter and her skin tingle. He’d joined them at the table for more drinks and it wasn’t long after that that the three of them were in a room above the tavern that Mal had rented for the night, pleasuring each other in ways Regina hadn’t even thought possible.

“You never answered my question,” Regina says, sipping her drink as she eyes Mal.

“Oh?”  

“Don’t be coy…”

“You like it when I’m coy,” Mal counters, grinning mischievously. “So, tell me, Regina—honestly—does you thief really keep you as happy as it seems?”  

“Of course he does,” Regina says easily, though taken aback by the question and even more so by the context of it. “You know that.” Mal nods a little as her eyebrow arches. “Can I…ask you something else, then?” Regina nods as Mal’s grin deeps and something flashes behind her eyes. “Don’t be upset…”

Regina rolls her eyes, as her fingers trace the rim of her glass as Mal’s smile curls up again.

“The other day, when we were all having dinner and he was kneading the dough for that delicious apple pie you made,” Mal begins, her voice dropping an octave. “I just couldn’t help but wonder if he’s as skilled with those hands as he seems.” Regina’s eyebrow arches as Mal leans in a little, her grin deepening as her voice drops again. “Because if he is, you are a very lucky woman.”  

Regina’s mouth suddenly feels dry and her breath catches in her throat and again, she feels that odd stirring of feelings that she can’t quite place. “You were thinking about…Robin and I… together…”

It’s not a question, but a statement and Mal laughs a bit as she leans back at her chair. Her eyebrow arches as she sips her drink, watching as Regina shifts in her seat. “Something like that…”

“Something like that…” Regina repeats, unsure of what surprises her most—the fact that Mal has very plainly admitted fantasizing about her and Robin together or the fact that she’s very much unbothered by it; in fact, she’s quite the contrary.  Catching her bottom lip between her teeth, she tips her head. “You still haven’t answered my question.” She blinks, glancing around the room to make she won’t be heard, “Because it sounds like you’re hinting at wanting to have a…a threesome.”

“Hmm, now there’s a thought.” 

“Mal…”

“Well, it certainly wouldn’t be the first time we did something like that.” She shrugs, “It’d just be a onetime thing, of course.” Another grin twists onto her lips and a little tingle runs up Regina’s spine as their eyes meet. “It’s not my fault you and I have the same taste in men.”

Regina laughs a little, crossing her ankles—that was certainly true and the attraction between the two of them was obvious. There were a thousand ways this could go wrong, yet as she sat across from Mal, dizzy from drinking and hot from the warm summer air, she couldn’t think of a single one.  

A smile pulls at her lips as she considers it—and a thrill runs through her. She can practically feel Mal’s soft lips settling in the crook of her neck and Robin’s tongue sliding against hers; she can feel their hands and their breath and…

“And you don’t find the idea of the three of us unpleasant.” Mal’s eyes widen a little. “I was only…sharing a favorite fantasy that gets me through the day, but you…you’re actually considering it.”  

“You were doing _more_ than sharing a fantasy,” Regina says as she reaches for her glass, still eyeing Mal and still caught up in her own fantasy. “Perhaps,” she begins in a coy voice as she takes a slow sip of her drink and looks out into the crowded room, purposely averting Mal’s eyes.  “I…I just think it’s fun to fantasize.”

“But wouldn’t it be more fun to…do more than just fantasize about it?”

“Perhaps…” Regina replies, looking back at her as a grin tugs onto her lips as she thinks of what it would be like to see Robin and Mal together. “…it would be.”

 “Do you think…Robin would be interested?”

“I…don’t know,” Regina admits truthfully. He’s never been the jealous type, as he’d reminded her that evening. He hadn’t flinched when she’d told him about the brief, but torrid affair she and Mal had when he was in New York and he was unfazed by Mal’s continuing presence in her life. And he liked Mal—they were on their way to becoming friends, if they weren’t there already. With another, long sip of her drink, she finishes it and sets the glass onto the table. “But I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to ask him.”  

“Let me know what he says,” she replies, leaning back as she cradles her nearly empty glass and flags down their waiter to order yet another round.

_____

Regina stumbles into the house, kicking off her shoes and guiding herself into the living room.

The light is still on, the menu for one of the movies he and Henry watched glows on the screen and Robin is asleep in an arm chair. He’s in his pajamas and his head is tipped back, and in front of him on the coffee table are the remnants of the greasy food he and Henry had prepared for their movie marathon. She grins and reaches for the remote and struggles to find the correct button to blacken the screen and turn off the DVD player. When she succeeds she smiles victoriously, then turns to Robin as a grin tugs over her lips. 

She takes a step in, stumbling a little in spite of her bare feet, and sits on his knees. She reaches out and rubs the back of her fingers against his stubbly cheeks, her grin deepening as his eyes begin to flutter. Leaning in she brushes her lips over his, smiling against his lips as his hand slides around her hip.

“You’re drunk,” he murmurs as his eyes open.

“Very drunk,” she corrects.

He chuckles softly, “So, is it safe to assume you and Mal had a good time together.”

“Yes.”

“Good,” he says, pulling himself up a little as his hand slide around to her back. “I’m glad.”

“You’re…really okay with this? With me spending time with her?”

“You know that I am.”

Regina chews at her bottom lip as her heartbeat picks up. “Are you…sure?”

“Yes,” he nods, laughing a little as he pulls her closer. “Besides, I like Mal.”

“How much?” She takes a breath. “How much do you like her?” Robin blinks and tips his head curiously, and again her heart begins to beat faster. “Do you…find her attractive?”

“Yes,” he says easily. 

“Oh,” she murmurs in reply.

“Regina, what…”

“We were reminiscing tonight about this…thing we used to do together, years ago and…” She inhales a breath. “And we were wondering if you’d be interested in…a threesome.” He blinks and immediately, she feels herself sobering. Her mouth goes dry and her heart beats faster and faster as she tenses. “Oh, god. Robin, please forget that I…”

“Yes.”

“What?” She blinks. “You…what?”

“Yes,” he repeats slowly as a smile edges onto his lips. “I would be interested.”

“Oh…” she breathes out, suddenly relaxing as she tries to processes what’s just happened. “You’re…you’re sure? You don’t need time to…to think about it?”

“No,” he says easily. “I don’t.”

“Why not?” She hears herself ask, as her eyes meet his—surprised to find his blue eyes shining back at her and surprised to find her voice piquing in defense. “This isn’t something…to enter into lightly.”

“Regina,” he begins, laughing gently as he hugs her a little closer. “My hot girlfriend who I adore just asked me to have sex with her and her hot friend. There’s not a lot to think about. Besides, it’s just sex.”

“But, what if…what if this changes things,” she asks quietly, holding his gaze as her heart continues to beat rapidly and her fingers rub slowly over his chest. “What if…”

“Not all change is bad.” He leans in and kisses her forehead. “Besides, I love you and _nothing_ can change that.”

“You don’t know that.”

“But I do,” he says easily, rubbing his hand gently over the thin shirt that’s tucked into her skirt. “Can I ask you something?” She nods. “Have you and Mal been sleeping together?”

“No,” she says quickly, her smile fading. “Not since you came back.” She shakes her head and tries to keep herself from stiffening. “Why would you…think that?”

“Because you were feeling so guilty,” he says. “And because I see the way she looks at you—and the way you look at her.”

“Oh…” She looks away. “I didn’t…”

“It’s okay,” he tells her. “I wouldn’t have minded—though I’d have preferred to have been told.”

“But there wasn’t anything to tell.”

He nods, “I believe you.” Again, he squeezes her closer and smiles softly. “Can I ask you something else?” She takes a breath and nods. “This wouldn’t just be sex for you, would it? You still have feelings for Mal.”

“I’m in love with you,” she answers in reply.

A grin twists onto his lips and he laughs softly. “That isn’t what I asked you.”

“Robin…” she begins, suddenly uncomfortable. “Mal is just…”

“Regina,” he cuts in gently. “I’m not upset. I told you, I’m not the jealous type.”

“How did you know?”

“Like I said,” he starts, as his hand rubs gently back and forth over the small of her back. “I see the way you two look at each other. And, you don’t just turn off feelings.”

“But, you and I…”

“Are fine,” he interjects, smiling again as he tries to put her at ease. “I don’t believe that people have a limited capacity to love, so I don’t believe that you having feelings for her somehow takes away from what you feel for me.” He takes a short breath and quickly releases it. “Besides, this wouldn’t be my first time doing something like this.” Regina blinks and her eyes widen a little. “Marian and I…had an open marriage.”

“I didn’t know that,” she murmurs, her voice piquing as her drunkenness makes it seem more interesting than she intends and it makes him smile. “So, the two of you…shared partners?”

“Not exactly,” he tells her. “We just…had an understanding. I was away a lot, so we agreed that if we met someone else who we were attracted to, that was okay…as long as in the end, we returned to each other.”

“Oh…so, you didn’t actually know the other people.”

“Not…exactly,” he laughs.

“I just…if we do this, what if it’s awkward or you have regrets or…”

“I doubt that. It’s not awkward between Little John and I…”

“Marian and John were…”

“Lovers,” he finishes with a nod. “It worked for us—and this could work for _us_.”

“You’re…sure?”

Robin nods and offers her that soft smile that sets her at ease. “So much of your life has been spent being denied love and affection, of being denied pleasure and things that made you happy,” he says. “I would never deny you any of that.”

“I really love you,” she tells him, finally relaxing as her nervousness is replaced by a soft tingle of anticipation. “And I am really turned on right now.”

Robin laughs, leaning in and pecking her lips. “Well, I don’t have to tell you that I feel the same…”

“So, what are we going to do about that?” She asks, still too drunk to be embarrassed by the way her words slur.

“Instead of telling you,” he begins as his arm slips underneath her knees, lifting her as he stands, and she laughs out at the sudden movement as her head spins. “I think I’d _much_ rather show you.”

_____

Two nights later, they decided to do it.

It’s easy enough to arrange for the kids to be out—Emma and Killian are always willing to take Roland and Esme when they take Henry, and though it’s a standing offer, it’s not one that either Robin or Regina use very often. But tonight, they did, and there were no questions asked.

Admittedly, Regina had been grateful for that—her stomach had been in knots for the entire day and it wasn’t something she could dwell on for too long or she became antsy, fidgeting at her desk and shifting nervously around her office. When she got home, the kids had already been collected and Robin was in the kitchen, standing over a pot of sauce. He turned to her and kissed her cheek, then raised the spoon up for her to test the sauce. It was calm, acting as if this weren’t any different from any other night that they’d spend alone together. Looking around the kitchen, she notes the bottles of wine—and before she can even process it, he’s pouring her a glass.   

It helps her to relax and she takes off her blazer, grinning as Robin takes her in. She leans against the edge of the counter as he turns back to the stove, attending to the vegetables in pan. He’d promised to take care of the meal—something light and something that allowed for a lot of wine—and he’d certainly delivered.  

Once she’s finished the glass, she finds that she’s loosened up considerably and her nerves have quelled. When the doorbell rings, their eyes meet and for a moment, they hold one another’s gaze.

“If you change your mind, it’s okay,” he reminds her, as he leans in and drops a soft and fleeting kiss on her lips. “And if you decide that this is a onetime thing, it’s okay.” He pecks her lips again, “And if you decide this is something you’d like to continue, that’s okay, too.”

“You’re sweet.”

“I can tell you’re still nervous,” he says, as he takes her hand. “But there’s no reason to be.”

He tugs her toward the door and she follows him, her stomach fluttering with nervous anticipation as he opens it. Mal is standing there in a black cap-sleeve dress and red lipstick, and she gives them both a sultry smile as Robin invites her in. He closes the door and without saying anything, Mal turns to her, sliding one hand over her hip and the other slides into her hair as she offers a soft, languid kiss. Regina feels Robin’s hand on her back, and then a moment later, Mal breaks the kiss and turns to Robin.

Regina’s licks her lips and lets out a shallow breath as she watches them kiss, watching the way they touch each other—glad when jealousy doesn’t creep up within her.

Mal pulls back, looking first at Robin, then glancing back at Regina as grin curls onto her lips. “How’s that for an ice breaker?” Both Robin and Regina chuckle in response and Robin reaches for Regina’s hand, and the three of them proceed into the kitchen.  

Robin goes back to preparing the Pasta Primavera and Regina pours them all some wine. Mal takes it upon herself to set the table—and it feels so normal. Regina smiles as she watches Robin and Maleficent exchange smiles when she leans in to smell the sauce, like this is something that they’ve done a thousand times before, as if nothing unusual were about to happen. Regina reaches for the colander, rinsing the noodles, finding herself pleasantly surprised when Mal drops a quick kiss onto her jaw as she passes, and Robin smiles softly at the interaction.

They have dinner, and that too, feels normal—they talk about the usual topic. Esme is teething and Roland is begging for them to let him sign up for a touch-football league. Henry’s applied for a position on the school paper and is anxiously awaiting the reply that will come at the end of summer, and Lily’s job is going better than she’d even imagined. 

The three of them finish off a bottle of wine and dinner winds down, they clear the table and clean up the kitchen before retreating into the living room with a fresh bottle of wine. Mal works on uncorking it while Regina lights a fire at the hearth, and Robin selects some soft music. They all settle on the couch with their respective glasses of wine. Regina’s in the center with Mal and Robin on either side of her—and that’s how it begins.

Soon light touches turn to more—Robin is kissing her and Mal’s hand has slipped beneath the hem of her skirt as her lips suck gently at her earlobe. Regina’s hands are roaming—one unzipping Robin’s pants as her fingers slip inside and the other rubs at Mal’s inner thigh. They’re all breathing heavily when she breaks the kiss and pulls away from them, suggesting that they go upstairs, where they can stretch out and be a bit more comfortable.

Leaving the wine behind, they go upstairs and as Regina looks back over her shoulder, she sees Mal checking out Robin’s ass. She smiles and continues to lead the way, letting them in and shutting the door—something she knows she doesn’t need to do, but gives her more of a sense of privacy and sets her at ease. When she turns back, she finds Robin pulling Mal into a kiss, his hands rubbing over the thin fabric of her skirt. Regina stands there for a moment, watching and enjoying the view—and taking another breath, she pulls at the zipper of her skirt, not removing it, but loosening it. 

Moving behind Mal, she tugs down the zipper of her dress, appreciating the way Robin’s hands move seamlessly inside of her dress, sliding against her skin—and then, he breaks the kiss. Robin pulls off his shirt as his lips find her jaw and he pushes her skirt down over her hips. Mal’s lips find her shoulder, and she loses herself in their kisses and touches. 

Their clothing is lazily removed, traded for warm lips and roaming fingers. Regina edges back onto the bed as Robin loops his fingers into the sides of her panties, slowly pulling them down her legs, as Mal’s hand kneads her breast and her lips suck gently as hers. Her fingers slip into the front of Mal’s lace panties, slides through the sleek warmth of her as her thumb seeks out her clit. 

Regina lets out a soft moan as Robin slides into her, and she watches as Mal bites down her bottom lip, watching as Robin’s cock disappears inside of her and he begins to thrust. Mal lets out a shallow breath as she settles at Regina’s side, kissing her neck and jaw as Regina’s fingers slide between her thighs. Soon, two of her fingers are inside of her and her thumb is pressing at her clit, and her breath is growing more ragged. Mal’s lips continue to suck on Regina’s neck as she grinds against her hand—and the only thing Regina’s able to think about is how _good_ they both feel.

It’s no surprise to her that she comes first—her orgasm ripping through her and leaving her trembling as Robin slips out of her. She takes a few breaths as she tries to come down from her high—and when she does, she finds that Robin has settled on the opposite side of Mal. They’re kissing and their hands are roaming over one another—and a shiver runs through her—they look so good together.

Her fingers are still curled inside of Mal and she slowly withdraws them, her hand sliding up Mal’s stomach to one breast while her lips find the other. She feels Robin shift on the bed and he positions himself between Mal’s legs, pressing the tip of his cock against her wet lips. Regina first looks up at Mal, who’s swallowing hard in anticipation as she presses her head back into the pillow, and then she looks at Robin—for a moment their eyes meet and she smiles and nods, as her pushes into Mal, sinking into her and making her moan. Mal’s fingers slide between Regina’s thighs as Regina returns her attention to her breasts, as she loses herself in the moment.

It doesn’t take much for her to come again, and by the time Robin and Mal have finished one another off, they’re all breathlessly sated. They’re a mess of limbs with Regina once again in the center. Regina turns her head and kisses Robin, before rolling onto her side and cuddling into Mal, kissing her softly as Robin cuddles into her back—and again, she loses herself in the feeling of them, and her final thoughts before drifting to sleep are about how right this feels.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin, Regina and Mal fall into a comfortable rhythm together, and make the decision not to keep their relationship a secret.

After that first time the three of them were together, Regina woke up to Robin’s lips gently kissing down the nape of her neck and his hand gently rubbing over her hip. She had still been lying on her side and before her eyes had even opened, a smile tugged at her lips as she remembered their second impromptu round with Mal’s body pressed to hers as they kissed and her fingers sliding into Mal as Robin slipped into her from behind, his arm extending over her to caress Mal’s ass. Her cheeks flushed a little as her eyes fluttered open to find the space beside her was empty. 

“Good morning,” Robin murmured against her skin.

“Good morning,” she’d replied, rolling onto her back and forcing his lips to slide across her clavicle. “Where’s Mal? She…didn’t leave, did she?”

A smile tugged onto his lips as he pulled himself away from her and propped himself up on his elbow, resting his head against his hand. “She and I both woke up a bit earlier…”

“Ah, I should have remembered she’s an early riser,” Regina said in a groggy voice as she turned her head over on the pillow. “Just like you.”

“She’s downstairs making breakfast. She thought it might be a good idea if she weren’t here when you woke up…in case you were having regrets or second thoughts about what happened last night.” He’d reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear as a smile crept onto his lips. “Are you?”

His fingers lingered at her jaw and he’d watched her carefully with soft eyes and she knew that whatever she said would be fine with him. The night before, she’d been so apprehensive and unsure, her mind swirling with a thousand ways this could all go wrong—but that apprehension was gone and she could barely remember why she’d been so skittish about this before, because when the three of them were together and it was actually happening, all of her uncertainty had faded away.

“No,” she’d replied in a meek voice as a little smile pulled at the corner of her mouth.

“So, you’d…want to do this again?”   

“I definitely think,” she’d began as her smile pulled tighter, “we should do this more often.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she’d said with a little laugh of excitement as he fell forward, his lips trailing warm, wet kisses along her jaw as his hand slid beneath the blanket and across her bare stomach. “It was…fun.”

“It _was_ fun,” Robin agreed, pulling back with shining blue eyes. “And as much as I’d love to stay in bed, kissing you and touching you and making you squirm, there’s an adorable dragon waiting for us in the kitchen with fresh coffee and scrambled eggs.”

Regina giggled and pulled herself up, arching an eyebrow in Robin’s direction. “You think she’s adorable.”

He rolls eyes and leaned in, pecking her lips and smiling. “Perhaps.”

“Good,” she’d murmured, kissing him back as he pulled her away from the warm bed. “I like that you think that.”

They’d joined Maleficent in the kitchen—she’d been wearing one of Regina’s robes and her hair was tied up in a knot atop her head, using a French Press to make coffee. She’d turned her head looking over her shoulder at them as they came into the kitchen holding hands.

“So? What’s the verdict?”

Regina had taken a short breath and given Robin’s hand another squeeze before crossing the kitchen to where Mal was standing. Her hand slipped around her waist as she leaned up onto her toes, pressing her lips to Mal’s as her fingertips rested on her cheek. The kiss was soft and sweet, unrushed and unabashed and when she pulled back, she’s smiled warmly, glancing quickly back at Robin and then looking back at Mal—and that was her answer.

Since then things continued on fairly normally and the three of them had spent the summer falling into a rhythm with one another and navigating their way through what it meant to be in this sort of relationship. Though Robin and Mal had had the beginnings of a friendship, over the course of those summer months it had been solidified as they grappled with and marveled over modernity, and took turns playfully teasing Regina. Regina and Mal still had their girls nights—sometimes there was sex, sometimes there wasn’t—and Regina and Robin still carved out some time to be alone with one another. Mal still came over for family dinners on most nights a week, always helping Robin and Regina in the kitchen with food, something the three of them quickly realized they enjoyed doing together. Sometimes she stayed the night with them and sometimes she didn’t, and slowly but surely, the three of them had fallen into a routine that was comfortable and surprisingly easy—and routine that seemed to make them all happy. 

At first, she’d only stayed the night when the kids—or at least the boys—were out of the house, but slowly as they all became more comfortable with their arrangement, they also became less careful about it. It helped, of course, that the kids enjoyed having Mal around. Both Henry and Roland enjoyed her stories of the life she lived long ago in the Enchanted Forest, stories about guarding a fortress from trespassers and saving a group of children from ogres with one fiery breath—all of which were darker and a more tragic than she let on because she seemed genuinely happy to entertain them. Esme, too, had taken a liking to her, cuddling into her warmth and allowing the dragon to soothe her—something they’d quickly learned she didn’t just let anybody do, which naturally led to Mal looking after her while Robin and Regina were at work…and allotted them the perfect excuse for her often early morning presence should it ever be questioned. The boys never asked, though; and they’d even come to expect her there with them as they got ready for school, considering her very much just another member of the family.

Robin looks up from Esme, his fingers remaining on the bottom of her bottle as her little hands form around it, watching as Roland giggles as Mal hands him a plate of toast and a jar of jam—toast prepared by dragon fire has become his new favorite breakfast—and he can’t help but smile at them. Regina joins them in the kitchen, still fastening her earring as she passes Robin and quickly drops a rushed kiss over her lips, then dips lower to kiss Esme’s forehead. She circles around the counter and her hand brushes across the small of Mal’s back—too low for anyone to see—smiling as Mal looks back at her and she pours herself a cup of coffee.

“So, is Mal coming with us to the Harvest Fest?” Henry asks, looking up from his bowl of cereal.

“What’s that?” Mal asks, looking curiously at the other faces in the room. 

“Oh,” Regina murmurs, looking between Mal and Robin and shrugging her shoulders. “I just sort of assumed that you’d come with us. I didn’t even think to ask if you wanted to.”

“Please come, Mal,” Roland says, his brown eyes growing wide as he spreads too much jam onto the toast.

“Yeah, it’s so much fun,” Henry says. “There’s a cider and donuts, all sorts of cool things to do, like flying kites and a corn maze.” He grins. “And you’re not officially a Storybrooke resident until you go.”

“You’re not?” Roland asks, suddenly looking at Henry and making everyone else laugh. “I didn’t know that.”

“Well, then I think I _have_ to go,” Mal says as a grin tugs onto her lips as she looks between Robin and Regina. “You know I’m not one to turn down a good corn maze.”

At that, Regina chuckles over the rim of her coffee mug and Robin smiles. “Then its official, the whole family’s going.” Mal’s eyes shift up and she looks between them all, her grin fading slightly before returning as bright smile.

_____

The rain tapped loudly at the window sill and Regina chewed on her pen cap, bored as she read through the minutes of the last Town Hall Meeting. She let out a little sigh as she turned the page, not understanding the need to her to review minutes when she’d sat through every dull moment of the actual meeting; nonetheless, it was part of her job—a job she prided herself on.

There’s a light knock on the door on the door and she barely looks up, expecting her secretary—the only person who ever really knocks on her door in the middle of the day. But when she does she see’s Robin’s head poking in as he opens the door and Mal’s behind him, holding a basket.

“What are you two doing here?” She asks, smiling in surprise at them as she pushes away the notes.

“Well, it’s raining pretty hard so John and I decided to call it a day,” Robin says, closing the door as Mal steps in. “The parks and recreation division cannot run if you cannot see three feet in front of yourself,” he continues as a grin tugs onto his lips. “And Little John suggested that since we found ourselves with a bit of unexpected downtime, the three of us might want a little time together.”

“That was thoughtful,” Regina says, rounding the desk and dropping a kiss onto Robin’s cheek.

Though when she and Robin first started dating, she wasn’t sure what she thought of the Merry Men—or what they thought of her—yet over the course of the past few months, they’d all grown closer and become her unexpected allies. They were the only people who knew about that they’d opened up their relationship to include Mal—and while Regina had been nervous about anyone outside of the three of them knowing, she’d been pleasantly surprised to find it a relief.

When they were around no one had to hide anything and all of the little things she found herself otherwise so self-conscious about didn’t matter. She didn’t have to worry about little looks or touches, she didn’t have to worry about Robin and Mal seeming too flirty and she didn’t have to worry about someone picking up on something she hadn’t even thought to notice about their interactions. Instead, she found herself more relaxed—she found herself more herself.  And, in turn, she’d venture to say that they saw her a bit more humanized.

 “It was,” Mal agrees, leaning in as Regina kisses her. “So, we figured since all you packed for lunch was that sad little salad, we’d bring you lunch.”

Mal carries the basket to the other side of the couch, kneeling on the carpet as she opens it. Linking his fingers though hers, Robin leads her around the couch, tugging her down between them. Kicking off her heeled shoes, Regina tosses a fireball into the fire place and settles back against the couch. She watches as Robin reaches for a bottle of zinfandel and the corkscrew, his hand brushing over Mal’s, earning a little grin in response.

“So, what’s for lunch?” Regina asks, her own grin pulling at her lips. “I assume it’s safe to say that salad isn’t on the menu.”

Mal’s eyebrow arches and her face turns serious as her eyes meet Regina’s. “I don’t know how you can eat those things. It’s like chewing on grass.” Robin chuckles a bit as he turns the corkscrew into the bottle, pulling out the cork with a loud _pop_ and a smile twists back onto Mal’s lips, “I made a delicious turkey and white bean soup,” she says, pulling a large ceramic bowl from the basket. Regina takes it and opens the lid, as Robin reaches for the wine glasses. “And I made soda bread to go with it.” Her smile widens and her eyes sparkle with accomplishment. “It’s still warm.”

“Well, this looks incredible,” Regina says earnestly steam wafts up above the bowl. “So, I guess this means that someone’s mastered the crock pot—finally.”

“It’s harder than it looks,” Robin says, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth as Regina rolls her eyes and reaches for a the bowls. Mal dips the ladle into the soup, filling the bowls and Robin pour the wine. “Not quite as bad as the bloody dishwasher but…”

“You two are hopeless.”

“Oh, you _know_ you find it endearing,” Mal teases as Robin chuckles and hands them each a too-full glass of wine.

“I do,” Regina admits with a sigh as Mal hands her a bowl cradled in a cloth napkin and then hands the same to Robin.

“So, Regina,” Mal begins, looking between Regina and Robin. “We were talking on the way over and we’re both quite curious about this Harvest Fest of yours.”

“Well, it’s basically just what Henry told you the other day—cider and donuts, kites and corn mazes—the usual.” She catches her lip between her teeth and looks between them. “And it’s possibly my favorite Storybrooke festivity.”

“Of course it is,” Mal says, her hand slipping over Regina’s knee, her long fingers rubbing in a circular motion. “It involves apples.”

Robin chuckles softly as he dips his spoon into the soup, “Tell us more…”

She tears off a piece of the bread  and dips it into the soup, taking a small bite of it as her smile deepens—and she explains how she’d planned it in an effort to entertain herself in those lonely years of the curse.  As they eat, she tells them about the weeks she spent researching such events along the eastern seaboard, picking the aspects and events she liked best from each and using them to create Storybrooke’s festival—and each and every year, she tweaked and improved it until it was exactly as she wanted it. Until Henry, she’d only watched it from afar, never participating beyond her mayoral duties—and once she had him, she explains as Robin tops of their wine glasses to finish off the bottle--she found it was one of her favorite things to enjoy with someone she loved.

“So, does that mean you love us,” Mal says, arching an eyebrow as she sips her wine.

“Of course it does.”

“So, we were chatting about _that_ particular detail on the way over,” Robin begins as his eyes meet hers. “How it’s starting to a bit difficult to…pretend things aren’t happening.”

“Oh…” she murmurs as she looks between them. She’s made no secret about being in love with the both of them—and they’ve been equally honest with her. Yet, she’s not completely sure about how they feel about one another. There’s certainly an attraction and a fondness, a comradely and a friendship between them that extends beyond her—but she’s not sure it’s more. And if it is, they haven’t told her.

“We don’t want to push you,” Mal is quick to say. “Don’t get me wrong, I love it when it’s just the three of us like this—or just the three of us and the kids. But, it’s just when John came over to watch Esme, it was so nice not having to hide anything or make excuses.”

“Well, that’s because he understands…” she murmurs as the conversation moves in a direction she hadn’t quite expected.

“We’re not trying to pressure you, love,” Robin says as her voice trails off and a small hint of guilt pinches at her conscious. “Just…perhaps it’s something we could think about, with the holidays coming and all.”

“So, you two want to…tell people.”

“Well,” Robin begins, glancing quickly back at Mal. “Nothing formal, but perhaps we could be just a little more open about things. Maybe just family and friends, people we’re close to…”

Again Regina looks between them and she nods a little, and then to even her surprise, a smile tugs at the corner of her mouth. “I want to tell Henry first,” she says decisively. “He…deserves to know before anyone else.” She pauses and lets out a short breath as her smile deepens, “I don’t think Roland’s old enough to really understand, but Henry should know.”

“We don’t have to do it right away, of course,” Mal says, her own smile creeping across her lips.

“Maybe after the festival,” Robin says, giving her knee a little reassuring squeeze. “Give you –and all of us—a little time to figure out how to…go about it.”

“Okay,” Regina says with a nod as a little shiver of relief runs through her—and she thinks about what it would be like for the three of them not to have to hide their relationship. She thinks of all the times she’s wanted to hold Mal’s hand or how many times she’d notices Robin’s hand moving to touch upon the small of her back as they passed through a room only to withdraw as he realized where they were and who was around.

They hadn’t ever talked about keeping their relationship a secret—but at the start, it seemed easier and allowed them to get adjust to the three of them being together, and in some ways, it had been such a thrill. She’s always known that her family and friends weren’t likely to understand—there wouldn’t be smiles or offer immediate acceptance as it had been when the Merry Men had found out about them—but she was quickly realizing that she didn’t care as much as she thought she did. She wasn’t seeking anyone’s approval. For the first time in her life she felt completely happy and content with the direction her life was going in—and she owed a large part of that feeling to two people sitting there with her—and suddenly, she’s unworried about the rest.  

“You know,” she begins, looking coyly between them as she unbuttons the top two buttons on her shirt. “My secretary should have just left for lunch.” She sets aside the bowl and moves the basket to the side as Robin and Mal exchange smiles and then look back at her. “Which means that we have _at least_ an hour together, without any interruptions whatsoever.” Grinning, she undoes another button and that’s all it takes for them to be on either side of her, lips on her skin and hands exploring and any remaining worry of what the next few days will bring flutters away.

_____

On the morning of the Harvest Fest, Robin, Regina, Mal and the kids arrive early. Regina has to be there for the opening of the gates—and once they’re all there, there no reason to leave and come back. So they decide to make a day of it, starting with a breakfast of cinnamon and sugar donuts and apple cider. They all laugh as Esme’s blue eyes widen as she takes her first sip of cider and smile as Roland looks around in wonder, listening intently as Henry explains his usual plan for the day. After that, they have an easy morning, watching the kids play games and playing a few themselves—and everyone’s amazed to find that Roland is particularly good at bowling, knocking down all of the squash “pins” on his first throw three times in a row, earning himself a rather large stuffed bear.

Once they’ve tired of the games, Henry and Roland set out for the pumpkin patch, milling around and examining the pumpkins, looking for the perfect ones to paint and don their porch until Halloween. Robin goes with them, balancing Esme on his hip as he tries to point out which looked the plumpest or ripest or most orange, and while the boys don’t seem to pay much attention to his suggestions, Esme is more than entertained, giggling and pointing her chubby fingers in the direction of each pumpkin that Robin motioned to.

 “She’s so sweet,” Mal murmurs, as she glances over at Regina before turning her attention back to Robin and Esme.

“She is…”

“And he’s such a good father.”

“Yeah,” Regina says with a slight nod and a grin. “That’s the side of him that first fell in love with,” she adds, slowly reaching out and curling her hand around Maleficent’s. Mal looks down, looking at their joined hands and then back to Regina. Regina’s grin deeps and her cheeks flush a little as her heart begins to be faster at the subtle yet brazen move.  She doesn’t say anything, instead she continues to focus on the boys, watching as Henry holds up a rather large and round pumpkin and Roland nods in approval, as she absently rubs her thumb against Mal’s wrist—and then a moment later, Mal’s hand turns to hold hers.  

By the time lunch rolls around, they find themselves sitting together at a picnic table with Esme napping on Regina’s chest as Roland chatters on excitedly recapping the day’s events, careful not to leave out a single detail. They all listen and nod, smiling as he retells the same stories for a third time, glad that he’s not feeling abandoned because Henry decided to meet up with a few friends from school and is giving the games another go, eating elephant ears instead of sandwiches.

“But what do you want to do next?” Robin asks, trying to steer the conversation in a new direction to save everyone’s sanity.

Mal and Regina laugh and Roland’s brow furrows, his expression growing serious as he considers his options. “You know, sweetie, we do have all day,” Regina says, reaching out and giving his hand a little squeeze. “You don’t have to pick just one thing.”

“I know,” he says, looking between them all. “But, I just don’t know what I want to do _first_.”

“Well, I know what I want to do first,” Mal says, offering Robin and Regina a little wink, before looking across the table at Roland. “I want to fly a kite.”

“Oh,” Roland murmurs, as he looks back over his shoulder at the wide open space where a few families stand together, flying their brightly colored kites. “But I don’t know how to do that,” he says. “I don’t know how to…make it fly.”

“Well, then you are in luck.”     

“I am?” He asks, looking back at Mal with wide eyes. “Why?”

“Because I just so happen to be an expert kite flyer,” she tells him easily as Robin and Regina exchange curious looks. Roland’s eyes widen and Mal laughs a little, looking between them. “Why do you all look so stunned?”

“I don’t normally associate you with…whimsy,” Robin says, laughing a little.

“I will have you know that kite flying was not always about _whimsy_.” Mal rolls her eyes, “Thousands of years ago, warriors used to use them to send messages and measure distance for the troops—kites were considered a very effective tool, and a skilled kite flyer was a thing of luck.” She grins, “And when they returned home, the same kites used in war were flown in celebration and in hope for prosperity and a plentiful harvest.”

“That’s actually true,” Regina says, grinning back at Robin. “That’s why they’re here.”

“How do you even know something like that?”  

“Oh, trust me, I am _full_ of surprises,” she says, offering him a little wink and eliciting a slight giggle from Regina. Her attention turns back toward Roland and her smile turns from sultry to warm. “You know, I think I even see a purple dragon kite over there.”

Roland spins around in his seat, craning his neck to look at the selection of kites, a bright smile tugging onto his lips as he spots the kite that Mal saw. He whirls back around with expectant eyes and Mal is already sliding off the bench and reaching for his hand. Robin and Regina both laugh and watch them go.

“I saw you and Mal holding hands earlier,” he says sliding his arm around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder.

“You did?” She asks, her voice piquing with mild concern as she cuddles Esme a little closer. “Do you think anyone else noticed?”

“I doubt it,” Robin murmurs, “I just have a habit of…looking at the two of you.”

“I don’t care if anyone saw, really,” she says, turning her head to look at him. “I just…don’t want Henry hearing about it from someone else…or hearing what someone else _assumes_ is happening.”

“I’m sure it’s fine,” Robin tells her, pressing a soft kiss against her jaw. “It was sweet, honestly—the two of you standing there, holding hands and grinning.”

“It felt good…even if it was a little nerve-wracking.”

“It’ll get easier with time, when you’re more used to it.”

She nods and smiles back at him, remembering that he has much more experience with this sort of thing—and because of that, much more comfort. Her grin pulls tighter against her lips and she settles back into him, watching as Roland examines the purple dragon kite.

Mal takes the string and starts to back up, telling him something as she does. Roland nods and clutches the paper dragon tighter, watching curiously as Mal looks up at the sky. A moment later, she gives him a quick thumbs up—something he taught her the night before--and he tosses up the kite, letting the wind catch and pull it upward. Roland gasps, his hand coming up over his mouth as Mal smiles at him, motioning for him to join her. They watch as Roland runs to her and she hands him the spooled string, helping him to release a bit more and pointing upward as the kite flies higher. Mal taps the sting and Roland pulls down on it and they can see him laughing out, as the kite dips down before the wind sweeps it back up.    

“She’s a good fit with you two,” Little John says, sitting down across from them at the picnic table. “And you know what else is good? This Italian sausage,” he says with a little laugh. “It’s my second.” Regina laughs and shakes her head, leaning back into Robin a bit as her hand rubs circles over Esme’s little back. “But, really, look at how good she is with him.”  

“I know,” Robin replies as Mal laughs and tightens Roland’s hand over the string when the kite nearly gets away from him. “He adores her.”

“They all do,” Regina murmurs. “And she’s always been good with kids.”

“It’s really too bad Lily couldn’t have stayed longer,” Little John says.

“She’s coming to visit soon,” Robin says.

“For the holidays,” Regina adds.

“And does she know about the three of you?”

Regina looks back at Robin. “I…don’t know,” she says, “But I assume by then it’ll be an…open secret.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that,” Little John replies, offering an earnest smile. “I know it’s been difficult to keep.”

Robin nods and presses a quick kiss to Regina’s cheek. “It’ll be nice to enjoy each other’s company without worrying so much…”

“Speaking of that,” Little John beings. “If the three of you’d like to enjoy each other’s company for a bit, I’d be happy with occupy Esme and Roland…and Henry, wherever he is.”

“He’s ditched us for some friends,” Regina says with a little laugh behind her words, as she looks back at Robin. “What do you think?”

“I think I’d never turn down an opportunity for some alone time.”

Alone time at the Harvest Fest turns out to be very different from alone time in a normal sense—but it still proves to be fun, nonetheless. Within five minutes of entering the corn maze, they were lost between the stalks of corn and bales of hay—and though both Regina and Mal could easily magic their way through it, they enjoy wandering and laughing, teasing each other as they fell into a playful banter as they try to find their way. The maze was mostly empty—every now and then they’d hear a voice calling out _this way_ or _no, over here_ —and they always seemed to turn in the opposite direction, glad to be lost for a little longer.

When they reach yet another dead end, they laugh out—and Regina finds herself thinking that it feels so good to feel so carefree. She’d been testing the waters all day—starting from when she’d taken Mal’s hand at the pumpkin patch—and had been trading flirty looks and little touches with both of them. It was easy not to care—and she was only minorly anxious about telling Henry—and though it still sometimes surprised her, it was so easy just to be with them, not just in a moment, but always.

As she turns away from the dead end, she realizes that Robin and Mal’s footsteps aren’t following. She turns around just in time to watch a smile tugging across Mal’s lips as one of Robin’s hands touch to her hip and the other reaches up, as he laughs softly.

“There’s a leaf in your hair,” he tells her, still chuckling as he pulls it away and holds it between his fingers. Laughing, too, Mal plucked it from his fingers and twirled the stem between her thumb and forefinger. Robin slowly leans in and slowly, the leaf falls from her finger tips as Mal leans in to meet him. Regina’s standing close enough to see exactly what’s happening—she  watches as their lips touch, watching as Mal’s tongue slides across the seam of his lips, watching as his lips part and tongue slips across hers—and while she’d seen them kiss countless times before, there is something different about this one. As far as she knew this was the first kiss that hadn’t been at all for her benefit, the first kiss that didn’t involve her in some way, the first kiss that was for just the two of them.

She watches as Robin pulled back, smiling warmly as he runs his thumb over Mal’s cheek—and she feels her own smile tugging at one side of her mouth as her heart flutters gently in her chest. She hadn’t quite been sure where the two of them stood—and in the back of her head, she’d worried that they were going along with this mostly for her benefit and if that were the case, the foundation of the relationship that they’d been slowly building would have been a shaky one—but as she watches them together now, she can see she had nothing to worry about—she could see that they were falling in love, if they weren’t there already. And she feels an overwhelming sense that this really will work, that they’re all really in this for the long haul, and that no matter what comes next, it’s going to be okay for all of them.

“Alright, lovebirds,” Regina says with a little laugh, still smiling widely as she takes a couple of steps toward them and taking each other their hands in hers, gently tugging them toward her and pulling them from their trance. “We have to find a way out of here.”

They laugh in return, following Regina’s lead as they once more set out, struggling as they navigate their way through the corn maze.

_____

It’s late when they all get home. Roland and Esme are already asleep by the time they reach the front door and upon entering the house, Henry announces that he’s going upstairs to shower because he smells like a weird mix of hay, hotdog and maple syrup.  Robin and Mal follow him up the stairs—Robin carrying Roland and Mal carrying Esme—and Regina retreats back into the living room, pouring three glasses of wine and lobbing a fireball lazily into the fireplace. She tosses a few extra pillows onto the couch and reaches for an afghan, kicking off her shoes and pulling off her jacket.

A few minutes later, Robin and Mal join her. Robin sits on one end of the couch and holds her against him. Her feet are outstretched, almost reaching Mal who settles at the other end of the couch, rubbing her bare foot over Regina’s ankle as they all sip their wine and close their eyes. For a brief moment, Regina considers tugging them both up the stairs and crawling into bed with them, trailing languid kisses over their skin and her fingers explore lazily—but she’s too tired, even for that—and she’s much too comfortable where she is.

She giggles a bit as Robin presses a kiss to her hair and Mal’s foot stretches higher—and then suddenly, Robin tenses and Mal stops, freezing where she is and she’s vaguely aware of footsteps on the stairs. Her eyes open and Henry’s standing there, watching them. His jaw is open and his eyes are wide—and she thinks for a moment that he looks more confused than he does horrified. Shaking his head, he takes a step back as Regina pulls away from Robin and Mal.

She sighs, looking between them—two sets of blue eyes, watching her apologetically.

“I’m sorry,” Mal murmurs. “I shouldn’t have…”

“Don’t apologize,” Regina’s quick to say. “What we were doing was perfectly innocent. I just…”

“Didn’t want him to find out this way,” Robin supplies when her words fail her.

“It could have been worse,” she adds, thinking back to all the times they’d been doing much more than innocently cuddling together on the couch with the kids just upstairs. “And I suppose this is exactly why we need…be less secretive.”

“Maybe I should…go home,” Mal says in a tentative voice as she looks between them.

“No,” Regina says as Robin’s lips purse. She shakes her head a little, “I want you to stay tonight. And I…don’t want to give him the impression we have anything to hide or feel guilty about or…” She sighs and looks toward the stairs. “I should…just go up and talk to him.”

“Of course,” Mal murmurs as she stands up.

“We’ll be…here…if you need us,” Robin adds as she starts toward the stairs, smiling back at them gratefully.

Taking a deep breath, she ascends the stairs. For nearly a week, she’s thought about what she was going to say to him, what she was going to tell him, how she’d go about explaining something that she knew most adults wouldn’t even understand. She knocks at his bedroom door, opening it before he tells her to and she finds him sitting on his bed, leaning back against the headboard, arms crossed over his chest with his brow creased.

“I, uh, think we should talk…”

“What the hell, mom?”

“Henry…”

“I’m sorry, I just…”

“Don’t understand?” He nods as she pushes herself into the room and closes the door. “Yeah, I can imagine.”

“So, are you…having an affair with her?” Henry blinks, shaking his head as his eyes meet hers. “No, that doesn’t seem right….”

“Because it isn’t,” Regina tells him. “It’s not an affair.” She takes a breath. “A few months ago, Robin and I decided that…we should open up our relationship.”  Henry just blinks and his eyes widen a little and she can tell he’s struggling not to think about the implications of what she just said. “We wanted to open it up to include Mal.”

“Include her,” he repeats skeptically. “So the three of you are…”

“In a relationship.”

“What does that mean?” Henry asks, immediately grimacing. “No, don’t tell me. I…I’m still not over the birds-and-the-bees chat we had.”

“Neither am I,” Regina says with a nervous little laugh behind her words. She sits down on the edge of his bed, “But, Henry it’s more than… _that_.” She takes a breath and feels her shoulders relax a little. “I love them.”

“Them…”

She nods, “Well, you know that Mal and I had a little thing when Robin was in New York and…those feelings, once they came back, didn’t go away.”

“And Robin’s just…okay with that? It thought you two were soul mates and true love and all of that?”

“We are,” Regina says. “But a person’s ability to love isn’t limited. Having Roland and Esme in my life hasn’t made me love you any less. And loving Mal didn’t make me love Robin any less.”

“And Robin’s…cool with that?” He asks, his voice piquing with skepticism. “He’s totally fine with you being in love with another person?”

“He is—because he’s in love with her, too.” A smile pulls at her lips. “I know this is unconventional, but I assure you, there is no shortage of love between the three of us.”

There’s a palpable silence that falls between them, and she can see him trying figure out what it is that he thinks. She sits there and tries to be patient, trying not to let a her imagination run wild with worst-case scenarios, and trying her best to give him time. She considers getting up, considers leaving him with his thoughts, but she finds that she can’t do that, not when things aren’t resolved. So, she sits at his bedside and waits.

“Are you happy?” He asks, finally.

Without thinking, she hears herself answer, “I am—and they are, too.”

“Does…everyone know?”

“No,” she says easily. “Little John does, and the rest of the Merry Men.”

“Am I supposed to…keep this a secret?”

“No,” she says again. “I don’t want it to be a secret anymore.”

Henry takes a breath and she can tell that he’s still confused, but his expression has relaxed and he looks more curious now than he does confused. “What if people don’t understand?”

“I’ve spent an entire lifetime with people not really understanding me. I’m not really concerned about that.” She grins. “Besides, I have a pretty great support system.”

“Robin and Mal…”

“And you, I hope.”

A hint of a smile forms over Henry’s lips. “I don’t really…get it,” he says, “But I want to because I’m glad that you’re happy.” He pauses. “And…I won’t tell anyone.”

“You don’t have to keep my secrets, Henry.”

“I know, but…people can be mean when they don’t understand things and…that’s not really fair. People have judged you enough.” He shrugs. “Besides, it’s not for me to tell.”

“Well, I appreciate that.” She grins, “We’re not exactly going to make a big announcement, but we just don’t want to hide anymore.” She shrugs her shoulders, “Because…we’re not doing anything wrong.”

“I’m glad you’re not hiding anymore,” Henry says as his eyes meet hers for the first time since she came into the room. He laughs a little, “So…what does that make Mal to me? I mean, Robin’s kind of like my step-dad, but not really…”

Regina laughs and her hand falls onto Henry’s knee. “How about instead of putting labels on them, we just consider them two people who love you very much.”

“That works,” Henry says with an easy grin and a shrug of his shoulders.

“So, you’re…you’re really okay with this?”

Henry nods, “Like I said, I don’t really get it, but I’m glad it makes you happy.” His grin widens a little. “You deserve that.”

Leaning in, she presses a kiss to his forehead, “I love you, Henry.”

“I know,” he says. “And I love you, too.”

“And I’m glad you took that shower before we had this chat,” she tell him with a little laugh. “Because you really did smell like hotdogs.”

Henry laughs as she stands up, “Good night, Mom.”

“Good night, Henry,” she says as she leaves the room and turns out the light, exhaling a breath she barely realized she was holding.

She closes the door and jumps back a little, startled to find Robin and Mal leaning against the wall outside of Henry’s bedroom with wide, worried eyes.

“How’d it go?” Robin asks.

“It was…fine.”

“So, he understands?” Mal asks.

“Not…exactly,” Regina says. “But I think he will, with time.” She grins, “I think the more he sees of us all together, the more normal it’ll feel for him and the more okay with it he’ll be.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” Mal says, as a small smile tugs onto her lips.

“Yeah, he’s just…happy that I’m happy.”

“And he’s not alone in that,” Robin says, reaching out and giving her hand a soft squeeze. “So, you’re okay?”

“Yeah,” she replies, looking between them as she reaches for Mal’s hand. “I’m better than okay—and I am also exhausted, so if the two of you don’t mind, I’d like to go to bed.” She tugs them forward and they both laugh a little and follow her to bed.  


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After spending Thanksgiving apart, Robin and Regina reunite with Mal--and Roland discovers their relationship, which makes Regina question why they've tried to hide it at all.

They hadn’t intended to keep anything a secret, it had just sort of happened.

There were always just more important things to focus on rather than who knew what about their personal and romantic lives—and admittedly, they liked it this way. They liked not having to worry about judgmental eyes or whispers and rumors; and they liked not having to explain anything to people who didn’t want to understand. They were happy as they were—and, admittedly, they found the fact that no one ever noticed anything between the three of them a bit humorous, after all, it was an open secret, at best.

At the Harvest Festival earlier in the season, Mal and Robin had kissed openly in the corn maze as they’d tried to navigate through, and Regina had stood there, smiling as she watched before she’d finally taken their hand in hers, and jokingly told them they should ‘get a room’. Robin’s hand would graze the small of Mal’s back as they entered the diner to meet Regina for lunch and Mal never hesitated to brush a quick welcoming kiss to Regina’s cheek as she leaned in for a hug and a moment later, Robin would do the same. And if no one seemed to notice those more obvious signs of a relationship, they certainly didn’t notice the smile and glances and the way they’d sit too closely to just be friends.

Of course, Henry knew and so did the Merry Men, and when they were all at home together, everything felt so natural that they often forgot about the secret they were loosely holding onto.

However, as the holidays approached, they started to discuss the possibility of telling more people or perhaps, even being just a little more obvious about the arrangement and letting others infer what they would. And when Snow announced that she’d be hosting Thanksgiving dinner by sending out formal invitations adorned with sparkly maple leaves and a cute little turkey, Mal made a quip about how Snow White was unlikely to ever extend an invitation to her and that nannies don’t get invited to dinner, and though she laughed and insisted she meant it as a joke, neither Robin nor Regina found it funny—mostly because she was right, Snow would never think to invite Mal to dinner, and if anyone had anything to lose in their relationship, it was Mal.  

The following afternoon, Regina had made plans to have lunch with Snow, and she’d decided that she was going to tell her the truth about them—after all, there was no real reason to hide it. But that same morning, as Roland and Henry were bundling up to go to the bus stop and Robin was feeding Esme her breakfast, the phone rang and Lily was offering an invitation to Mal to visit her in Boston for Thanksgiving. Robin and Regina watched as warmth filled Mal’s eyes and a smile stretched across her red-painted lips, and she nodded as she listened to Lily tell her that she wanted to show her her newly decorated apartment and take her around Boston. Dinner would be catered and there were museums and antique shops and all sorts of things she just knew her mother would love to see—and by the time Mal hung up the phone, it’d been decided. 

And then, there was no longer a reason to tell.

For days after, Mal had been beaming with excitement—and though, they’d been excited for her and happy she’d get to spend the holiday with the daughter she’d missed so much time with, they’d both felt pangs of disappointment as the thought of not spending holiday meant to celebrate family and love with her

Thanksgiving came and went, and it was hard to focus on their disappointment for very long. But every now and then, Robin and Regina would look up at one another, and they’d be reminded that a piece of their family was missing—and a little sad that no one else noticed it.

On the day that Mal was set to return to Storybrooke, Robin had been called into work unexpectedly. They’d planned to meet her at the airport with the kids, and they’d all been looking forward to a reunion, He’d hedged, at first and tried to say no, but someone was sick and someone else had quit, and he had no other choice. Nonetheless, Regina and the kids had met Mal at the airport—and Regina’s heart fluttered with excitement as she watched Mal walk through the security gates. She’d laughed and shook her head when Mal stepped toward them in a black pencil skirt and an emerald colored blouse; her hair was wound into a perfect, loose bun and when she saw them waiting, she lit up. She’d hugged the boys first, quickly pulling gifts from an over-sized black bag—a beautifully illustrated pop-up copy of _Puff the Magic Dragon_ she’d found in one of the antique shops for Roland and leather-bound journal for Henry that was filled with parchment paper that had writing prompts up at the top for Henry—and then, she’d turned to Regina. The boys were distracted by their presents as she ran the back of her hand against Regina’s cheek and told her that she missed her. She’d hugged her and kissed her, and then a moment later, stooped down to pull Esme from her carrier and cuddled the little girl close.

On the long car ride back to Storybrooke, Mal held Esme, rocking her as her chubby little fingers clucked the purple stuffed dragon Mal had bought her, as she told the boys all about the adventures she had Lily had in Boston. Roland told her about how the turkey was too dry at their dinner and Henry told her about a short story he’d been writing—and for the entire drive home, Regina couldn’t stop smiling.

Finally, when they were home, they put Esme down for her nap and the boys busied themselves with their homework, and they were able to enjoy a little alone time. They’d opened a bottle of wine and sat together by the fire, trading long and languid kisses between stories about the past few days—but before they could lose themselves in one another completely, it was dinner time and then bath time, and they easily slipped into their comfortable routines…

Regina’s sitting on their bed, folding the kids’ laundry when she hears the door open and close. A smile tugs onto her lips as she hears Robin’s voice, followed by Mal’s, and when their voices stop, her she can’t help the smile that tugs onto her lips as she thinks of why that is. She sits there for a moment, picturing Robin and Mal together, and Mal’s long fingers on either side of Robin’s face, as he pulls her close and hands slide down her back as days and days of missing one another pour out into a kiss. It’s tempting to get lost in the fantasy, picturing how they’d touch each other and things they might say to each other as lips trail over skin and they make up for lost time—and then she realizes, as fun as it is to imagine them together, it’d be much more fun to be with them.

Her heart flutters with anticipation as she comes down the stairs, when she turns into the kitchen, she momentarily catches a of glimpse of them— Mal sits on top of the washing machine with a basket full of wet clothes at her side and her arms linked around Robin’s neck, and Robin stands in front of her with his hands on her hips, and they’re kissing—and then, she notices Roland.    

The little boy stands in the kitchen, staring into the little laundry room off to the side of it with wide eyes and an open mouth. He fumbles awkwardly with his hands and shifts nervously, and for a brief moment, her stomach drops—this hadn’t been the way they’d wanted him to find out. Taking a breath, she glances from Roland to Robin and Mal, and then she feels a smile tug onto her lips.     

 “Aren’t you supposed to be in bed?” Roland flinches at the sound of her voice and he spins around as his bottom lip catches between his teeth, and he looks back over his shoulder, worried that Regina will see what he sees. Her eyes follow his gaze to Robin and Mal, and then she stoops down in front of him. “It’s okay,” she murmurs. “They really missed each other while Mal was in Boston.”

 “But… but…” Roland blinks as confusion settles in his eyes. “Daddy’s _kissing_ her.”

There’s an urgency in his voice that breaks her heart a little, making her wonder why they hadn’t told him about in the first place, or at least, after Henry had discovered them. “Yeah,” she tells him with a nod and a soft grin. “He is kissing her, and that’s okay.” 

Roland’s head tips to the side and she watches as he chews at his lip and he struggles to find his words. “But… I… I thought that… that daddy was only supposed to kiss _you_.” His brow furrows and his eyes widen as he thinks he’s discovered what that meant. “Does that mean that you and daddy, are… or aren’t…”

“We’re _fine_ ,” Regina cuts in as she takes Roland’s had. “Your daddy and I are _absolutely fine_. We’re better than fine, actually,” she confesses to him. “I don’t think we’ve ever been more in love.”

“Oh…” he murmurs, once more looking back over his shoulder at Robin and Mal.

For a moment, Regina lets her eyes follow Roland’s and she watches the way Mal’s fingers rub against Robin’s stubbly cheek, so softly and tenderly, and so full of love. “I promise you, Roland. This is okay.”

“Does this mean… that…” Roland turns back to her and this time, he doesn’t look nearly as alarmed. “Does this mean that daddy loves Mal now?”

“Yeah, it does,” Regina tell him, as her smile brightens. “And she loves him too.”

“But what about… what about you?”

This time, her smile pulls tighter and she gives his hands a little squeeze. “They both love me, too, and I love them.”

Roland’s brow creases. “This sounds complicated.”   

“It’s not,” Regina says in a sincere voice. “I know it sounds like it would be, but it’s not.” Once more, she glances up at Robin and Mal, and she feels a warmth filling her chest. “Look how happy they are…”

“Yeah,” Roland murmurs with a little nod, watching as Mal pulls back and her cheeks flush with a smile as Robin grins at her. “I guess they do.”

“And you know what?” Regina asks as she reaches out and turns his head back to her. “I am really happy, too.”

“Good,” Roland says, offering her a sheepish little grin. “I’m glad everyone’s happy.”

“You can never have too much love in your life, Roland,” Regina says, grinning as she gently squeezes his chin. “And you know what else?”

“What?”

“You should be in bed.” Roland opens his mouth to protest, but Regina shakes her head, glancing up briefly as she watches Robin lean back in and as Mal’s arms link around his neck and her fingers push into his hair. “So, about we go upstairs and I’ll tell you a story.” At that, Roland’s eyes light up and she stands up, taking his hand as she tugs him toward the stairs. “And I was thinking that tonight, I’d tell you a story about the adventures of a Queen, a hero, and a dragon.”

Roland giggles as they start up the stairs. “That sounds like you and daddy and Mal.” 

“Well, it kind of would be, I guess.”    

“Did you guys all know each other in the Enchanted Forest?”

“No,” Regina murmurs in reply, as a smile tugs back onto her lips. “But had we, I think we would have all gone on amazing adventure together.”

“Yeah,” Roland agrees with another little giggle as he swings their hands back and forth. “I think so, too.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Charmings find out about their love affair; and Regina urges Robin and Mal to have a date night.

Regina breaths out a sigh of relief as she closes the door falling back against it as she turns to Robin and Mal. “I thought they’d _never_ leave,” exclaims, her voice exhausted as her head dips forward. Robin laughs as Mal steps forward, taking her hand and pull her toward them. She laughs a little as she looks up between them, letting Mal lead her to the stairs that lead up from the foyer and she looks between them. “Honestly, was it just me or was that worse than any of us anticipated?”

Robin’s nose scrunches and his eyes narrow. “I didn’t expect them to be… so inquisitive.”

Mal laughs as she rolls her eyes, turning them from Robin to Regina. “Yes, tonight certainly had its moments.”

“I particularly enjoyed the part where you told Snow that she thought anything other than the missionary position was kinky,” Robin says, chuckling softly as he leans in to press a kiss to her cheek, “Thus ending the uncomfortable inquiry into the _mechanics_ of our sex lives.”

“Well, she was being ridiculous,” Mal scoffs as her hand rubs gently at the small of Regina’s back. “It was certainly nice to… shut her up.”

“I realize it’s a tad unconventional,” Robin says, looking between them. “But where we’re from this sort of thing isn’t _completely_ unheard of.” He pauses as Regina’s brow arches and Mal’s shoulders shrug. “I knew plenty of people who lived in communal…”

“That’s just it,” Regina counters, cutting in as they move slowly toward the hall. “In _your_ circles this sort of thing was common, but your circles aren’t even close to the ones they were used to.”

“Closer than they think,” Robin murmurs as Regina’s eyebrows arch in surprise. For a split second, she wonders what he meant, but almost soon as she thinks it, her attention is diverted to Mal’s fingertips swirling against back of her hand.

 “Come on,” Mal says, squeezing her hand and giving it a light tug. “Let’s go pour some wine and…”

“Celebrate never having to have _that_ conversation again,” Robin concludes.

Grinning, Regina nods. “Wine sounds nice,” she says as Mal’s arm slides around her waist and the three of them make their way into the kitchen. “Maybe if I drink enough of it, I can forget the sound of Snow’s voice saying, ‘But what about the kids?’” With a loud sigh she falls against the counter and pushes her hands through her hair, as Robin reaches for the glasses, “As if we’re the ones living with a toddler in open-plan loft without doors or walls or… ways to hide what’s happening in our bedroom while it’s happening.”

A chuckle rises into Robin’s voice as he reaches for the glasses. “Well, I guess they always the bathroom for privacy.”

“And it’s many windows.”

Mal sets a bottle of wine onto the counter and a smirk forms over her lips as she looks between them. “Well, it’s all out now, but… there’s a part of me that’s going to miss them thinking I’m the nanny,” she says as Robin’s eyes meet Regina’s, and the cork pops from the bottle. “Esme’s much more enjoyable company and I liked that I could just dismiss myself whenever they became… _unbearable_.”

“I have a feeling it’s going to be awhile before you have to worry about making nice with the Charmings again,” Regina murmurs. “I have a feel once the shock wears off, the trauma will set in for them.”

Robin laughs as he leans against the counter beside Regina, and Mal pours the wine. “It _is_ nice that it’s out in the open, though,” he says—and Regina watches as his eyes settle on Mal, and a small grin pulls onto her lips. “No more being careful about what we say or how we say it, no more worrying about sitting too close or one of the kids slipping something that’s not easily explained...”

Regina takes a sip of the wine and the three of them continue their conversation—continuing on about the Charmings and the way their brows had creased and their jaws dropped open as the three of them explained the circumstances of their arrangement, and how it wasn’t the arrangement they’d allowed them to believe, but a relationship—a relationship they were finding themselves quite happy in. At dinner, she and Robin did most of the talking, answering questions—both the simple and outlandish ones—and beneath the table she found her hand seeking out Mal’s knee in an effort to comfort her; because as uncomfortable as it was for her and Robin to have this conversation, the discomfort had to be in tenfold for Mal.

But the discomfort was easily fading, and the more wine they drank the more amusing it all became—and suddenly, the tension that had burrowed itself between her shoulder blades began to relax.

It still surprises her sometimes—in moments like these—how easy and comfortable things are between the three of them. And just like that first time they were all together, it always feels so natural and if it’s always been this way. Reaching for the bottle of wine, Regina tops off her glass, watching as Mal teases Robin, and she can’t help but giggle a little bit as he pretends to be offended. When it all began, she wasn’t sure what to expect or what the dynamic would be like. Neither of them had ever done anything quite like this; and though, they both had history with her—her star-crossed love affair with Mal and her fated love with Robin—there had been an unexpected joy as she watched her great loves slowly but surely falling for one another.

She watches the way Mal’s hand falls over Robin’s and she feels the soft sensation of his fingers still rubbing absently at the small of her back—then suddenly, Mal’s turns her attention to her.

“Regina, what do you think? I’m right, aren’t I?”

She blinks and looks between them—both staring at her wide-eyed and waiting—and a smile pulls onto her lips. She has no idea what they’re talking about—somewhere along the way, she lost track of the conversation—but nonetheless, she smiles. “I… think that the two of you should… go on a date.”

“What?”

“That wasn’t the question.”

“Regina…”

“You weren’t listening.”

“No,” she admits as she takes a sip of her wine. “I… got distracted.”

Mal’s eyebrow arches, “By what?”

Regina looks between them­­­­­—and for just a moment she gets caught up on them. “I really want this to work.”

Robin blinks. “Do you… feel like it’s not?”

“No…” She’s quick to say as Robin’s eyes slide from her to Mal. “I just mean…” Pausing she takes a breath, trying to figure out what exactly it is that she’s trying to say. “You both have history with me,” she says, starting again and hoping this time she can better explain herself, but at a loss for how to express what she’s thinking and feeling. ­“But I…”

“Well, yes,” Mal says with a nod. “That’s… kind of how all of this started.”

“You were our common denominator.”

“Exactly,” she nods, taking a breath as she glides her finger along the stem of her glass. “But that shouldn’t be the only thing the two of you share.”

“I wouldn’t say it’s the only thing.”

A small smile edges onto her lips. “I love you—both of you—and I love that we took a leap and went down this road together. I… didn’t think that I could be this happy.” Her smile deepens as Mal’s cheeks flush and her eyes cast down to her wine. “You two are just at the start of your relationship and… I don’t want you to not be able to enjoy it the way that you should or for it start feeling like you’re both _just_ in a relationship with me or make that relationship feel less important or...”

“Well, I don’t think…” 

“No, that’s not at all…”

“I want there to be something that’s… just yours,” she cuts in as their stammer through their reassurances. “Mal and I still have our girls’ nights and Robin and I still have our morning showers and…”

“Regina…”

“Love, I think you’re over thinking…”

“I’m not,” she cuts in again, this time a little laugh rising into her voice. “You two just said it, I’m the common denominator. And, I just… I want you to have something that’s just between you. I want you to get to enjoy each other and get to know each other and…”

“Has it every occurred to you that we want to include you?” Robin asks, his eyebrow arching as his eyes turn back to her.

“And you _do_.”

A smile twists onto Mal’s lips. “We can’t help it that we find you so irresistible.”

At that, she laughs out and rolls her eyes as Robin’s hand slips over hers—and then, her smile fades. “I just don’t want it to ever feel like you’re both in a relationship with just me or that my relationship with either of you is more important than your relationship with each other.”

“Okay,” Robin says, giving her hand a quick squeeze as he pushes himself away from the counter, rounding it to where Mal is standing. Regina watches as his hand slides over Mal’s hip, turning her toward him as her eyebrow arches. She can’t help but notice the way his fingers knead at her skirt—soft and tender. “Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?”

“This is so unexpected,” Mal teases as a grin twists onto her lips. “And while I don’t think it’s completely necessary, I… would _love_ to.”

“Then it’s settled,” Regina says, unable to stop a smile from stretching over her lips. “Tomorrow morning I’ll make all of the arrangements and…” she downs the rest of her wine, then sets the glass on the counter. “…now I am going upstairs to take a hot bath and forget that the earlier part of this evening ever happened.”

She offers them a triumphant little wink before turning away from them, her thoughts swimming with thoughts of bath oils and plans for the next evening.

_____

As promised, Regina made them reservations—and every detail was considered with care.

She’d selected a little bistro off the docks that was known for its low lighting, excellent selection of seafood and its impeccable wine list, and reserved a corner booth. When Robin arrived home from work there was an outfit hung on the bathroom door that included a slate blue shirt that accentuated his blue eyes—a feature she and Mal both found irresistible. Despite protests, she helped Mal pick out a dress—a deep emerald one with a bateau neckline and a plunging back that showed off her long neck—and when they came down the stairs together, neither could stop themselves from smiling as Robin’s lips parted and his eyes trailed over the dress. When he finally found his voice, he’d told her that she looked gorgeous—a compliment that would be paid again and again over the course of the evening.

When they got to the restaurant, he’d pulled out her chair and they gone through the menu, making small talk about the lobster bisque and whether or not the bread would be soft. By the time they’d ordered, they’d moved on to more meaningful topics of conversations. They recapped he day’s events and speculated about Esme’s sore gums, and they laughed about the way Roland had started to follow Henry around like a lost puppy while they were at home—a likely side effect of Henry’s entry into high school. Everything was light and comfortable, easy and natural—almost as if they’d been this way forever and so unlike the beginning of the relationship they were actually at.

“Do you think she’s right?” Mal asks, somewhat abruptly as she leans back in her chair, her face suddenly turning serious. “About us, I mean… that… you and I aren’t…”

“What?”

Mal sighs as his brow furrows. “I just… sometimes wonder if…” Her voice halts as she looks away—and for a moment, Robin feels a odd stirring in his chest—and a soft smile stretches over her lips before she looks back to him, her demeanor suddenly different. “Never mind.”

For a moment, neither says anything and he watches as sips her water. “You think my feelings for you are… insincere.”

“Not insincere.”

“But not love…”

Again, she looks away, her fingers edging at the base of her glass. “You and Regina have this beautiful love story of fated love and shared souls and…” She sighs as a sad smile forms on her lips and she looks back to him. “Sometime I wonder where I fit in to it.”

“You’re forgetting I’m the one who suggested this.”

“I know,” she replies with a slight nod. “But I… wonder if you expected it to be the way it is. From what I understand this is quite different than how things were with you and Marian and...”

“Ah…”

“Am I wrong?”

“No,” he admits, a small smile stretching over his lips as thinks back. “Marian and I generally had separate lovers.”

“Generally…”

Laughing a little, he nods. “While sometimes she’d help to entertain when I brought someone home, I was relatively uninterested in… doing the same with Little John or any of her other lovers.”

“I still can’t believe that one,” Mal says, shaking her head as a little laugh escapes her. “He’s your best friend.”

“And that’s what made it so easy to accept. I trusted him and I knew that he wouldn’t hurt her, that he’d be good to her.” Taking a breath, he feels his chest tightening. “And when we lost her… it was nice to have someone who understood what I was feeling.”

“He loved her, too.”

“He did,” Robin nods—and then, his smile returns. “I’ll admit that when I suggested Regina and I open up our relationship, I didn’t expect to fall in love with you. But I did.” His smile deepens as he reaches forward, sliding his fingers up over the back of her hand and caressing gently at her wrist. “But I think this begs the question of whether or not you fell in love with me, too.”

 “You know I did,” she says, her smile suddenly tightening in a way he finds absolutely adorable—the way does when she’s feeling overwhelmed and a little unsure. “And, I… think Regina’s proved her point.”

“She has a funny way of doing that, doesn’t she?”

Mal laughs a little and nods. “It’s… kind of annoying the way she’s never wrong.”

“It is,” Robin says with a light laugh, giving her hand a soft squeeze as their plates arrive.

Their conversation pauses and he pulls away, letting the waiter arrange the table and pour the wine. Then as the waiter leaves, Robin’s eyes shift down to Mal’s plate and he feels a soft and unexpected laugh rumble up from his chest. “You… ordered steak.”

“Yes,” she blinks. “I did.”

“At a restaurant known for its seafood, you ordered… steak.”

“Yes.” He laughs and her shoulders shrug. “I… have never been fond of seafood,” she tells him as a smile curls onto her lips. “It’s… never been very filling and… well…” Robin watches as her cheeks flush. “The chase was always half the fun.”

“The chase…”

“Well, for a long, long time it was easier to find food as a dragon. Less to carry and more to take home.”

Robin’s eyes narrow. “You… like to hunt?”

“Like is… a bit strong of a word,” she tells him. “One of the few things I like about this world is the convenience of food.”

“Yes, I… completely understand that,” he says easily. “Though I still can’t quite get used to how it’s prepared.”

“With all the gadgets and utensils and…”

“It’s supposed to make it easier, but…”

“It doesn’t,” Mal laughs. “Well, at least not for me.”

Robin nods in agreement, smiling as she cuts into the steak. “I don’t see why there have to be so many of them.”

“No… a spoon is a spoon,” Mal nods, sighing and likely thinking about the vast array of appliances in Regina’s kitchen—appliances neither of them really know how to use. “And, I don’t care what Regina says, things _do_ taste differently when you use them.”

“They do!” Robin agrees with an emphatic nod. “Especially lamb.”

Mal laughs as she stabs her fork into the steak and a smile twists onto her lips. “She may always be right, but perhaps you and I could tag team her and… make her _think_ otherwise.” Robin can’t help but laugh out at the suggestion and before he can reply, Mal’s laugh grows louder. “You know, she’d burn us to a crisp if she knew we were even having this conversation.”

“You think?”

“I think she’d let us _think_ she would.”

“Ah, now that sounds like Regina.”

They both laugh as Robin takes a sip of the wine before dripping a piece of his lobster into the buttery sauce. “You know, we _could_ prove her wrong.”

“She’d hate us.”

“I know,” Robin nods. “But she’s cute when she’s irrationally annoyed.”

“She gets all blustery,” Mal adds as smile pulls onto her lips. “And… can you imagine her face if she came home to a lamb roasting on a spit over a fire.”

“I can…”

“It’d be adorable.”

“And as much as she’d _say_ she hates it, I think she’d _love_ it.”

“Me too,” Mal says as she reaches for her wine, a smile edging over her lips and making his heart flutter lightly as their conversation shifts from roast lamb to other things they both miss from the lives they left behind.  

_____

It’s not terribly late when they arrive back at home, but even for a Friday, it’s well-past bedtime for two of the three children of the house. Mal kicks off her shoes as Robin unbuttons his cuffs, and together they quietly ascend the stairs. His hand guides her back as they reach the top, both seeing the sliver of light streaming out into the hall from the master bedroom; and as they near, they can smell the soft scent of Regina’s soap.

“Did you two have a good time?” Regina calls from the adjoining bathroom. “You’re earlier than I expected.”

“We had a wonderful time,” Mal returns, pulling out the pin that holds up her hair as she glances toward the partially open door and then to Robin, “Though, I think I can speak for both of us when I say that you were missed.”

“How was your evening?” Robin calls, tugging his shirt from his pants. “It’s… awfully quiet around here for nine thirty on a Friday night.”

“Emma and Killian took the kids.”

“Ah…”

“All three of them?”

A chuckle rises into Regina voice and the bathroom light turns off and she emerges in her bathrobe. “No, they took two of the three. I figured now that Esme’s walking, she’s old enough to wander the woods on her own.”

A grin edges onto Mal’s lips and Robin’s eyes roll. “I was only asking because… they’re a handful and… well… if they’re al not here, then that would mean that the three of us are all alone to… do as we please.”

A smirk forms over Regina’s lips. “That was the idea.”

“Well, look at you,” Mal laughs, “Thinking of everything.”

Regina’s eyebrow arches as she sits on the edge of the bed and reaches for her lotion. “So, tell me… how was it?”

“It was… lovely,” Mal purrs as her eyes shift from Regina to Robin.

“The food was excellent…”

“And the wine was…”

“Fanastic,” Robin nods, winking in Mal’s direction. “And the company wasn’t so bad either.”

“So, is this… something you’d want to do again?”

Mal hesitates, looking from Robin to Regina, “I’m not sure that romantic dinner are… our thing.”

“Though,” Robin cuts in, stepping up behind Mal and wrapping his arms around her waist and dropping a quick kiss against her jaw. “We think we’ve found something else that could be.”

Regina watches as Mal’s grin deepens. “Oh?”

“Sunday morning we want to get up before the sun and… go on a hike.”

“A hike…”

“Yes,” Mal says with a nod, looking back over her shoulder at Robin. “We’re both early risers and have an affinity for the outdoors…”

“And while Storybrooke doesn’t quite have the scenery the Enchanted Forest had, I was stunned that Mal hasn’t taken the time to explore it.”

Regina looks between them, feeling a smile tugging up at the corners of her mouth. “So, you two will be leaving me before the sun is even up on Sunday and… taking a walk through the woods.”

“Well, you’re more than wel…”

Regina laughs out, shaking her head as her smile stretches over her lips. “No,” she tells them. “I would much rather spend my morning sleeping in and…” Her smile suddenly grows coy as she caps the lotion and sets the bottle back on the night stand, “…warming the two of you up when you return.” Robin and Mal’s eyebrows arch simultaneously and she lays back, tugging on the knot of her white satin robe. She watches as Mal sucks in a breath and Robin utters a husky sigh as she opens the robe and shrugs it from her shoulders, revealing a revealing a black lace lingerie set that leaves little to the imagination. For a moment, they both stand there, letting their eyes stray over her, enjoying the contrast of the lace against her skin. “You didn’t think I was going to leave myself out completely tonight, did you?”

Again, smiles stretch across their lips and they need no more invitation.

Soon, they’ve shed their layers of clothing, joining her on the bed as their hands roam over her and they tug away the pieces of lace, and lose themselves in each other.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a tense day, Regina comes home to her family; Robin and Regina watch as Mal sings to Peanut.

The back door slams and the plates stacked on the counter rattle as Regina kicks off her shoes and roughly tosses her purse down onto the counter. Robin’s eyebrow arches as she exhales a long breath, pressing her eyes closed as her fingers push back through her hair.

“Do I even want to know?” He asks, looking up from a saucepan as he stirs his hollandaise. 

“It’s my fault,” she spats. “I agreed to have lunch with her.”

“With who?”

“Snow,” she says, punctuating the name with a loud and frustrated sigh. “I haven’t seen her since the night we had her and David over for dinner, and stupidly, I thought I missed her company.”

“Because you did,” Robin tells her with a smirk, cowering back a little as her eyes widen with rage. “Or… maybe I just imagined that.”

“She’s insufferable.”

“Well… she’s…” Robin’s face scrunches as he tries to think of an adjective, knowing that either way he’ll be treading on thin ice. “She means well,” he says instead.

“After a month, do you know what she’s been thinking about? A month later, the thing that plagues her mind, the thing that keeps her up at night…”

“I… don’t think I want to.”

“We were having a perfectly nice time, eating out salads and drinking iced tea and then… she just… had to ask what we’d do if you Mal got pregnant,” she says as she throws up her hands in absolute exasperation, letting them fall atop her head. “ _Who_ just _asks_ something like _that_?”

Clearing his throat, Robin blinks up at her. “Apparently Snow.”

“I would never ask her something like that…”

“And I would… never be in a position in which you’d have to,” Robin says, a light chuckle behind his words—something that quickly fades as Regina’s eyes widen. “I just mean that… I would never… I mean… not with Snow…”

Rolling her eyes, Regina’s head falls back, “ _Why_ is she my family?”

“Because you wanted her to be,” Robin supplies, “And because… as obnoxiously optimistic as she is, as nosy as she is, as conventional as she is… you love her.”

Sighing, Regina rolls her shoulders and takes a deep breath; and then turns back, looking around the kitchen as her brow creases. “Where… is everyone?”

A little grin forms over Robin’s lips. “Henry is helping Roland with his math homework—times tables that Roland doesn’t care enough to learn—and, given he’s been at it for more than an hour, he’s likely wanting to hurl himself into the fireplace; and Mal is upstairs with Esme. She was a little fussy…”

“Mal or Esme?”

“Esme,” Robin answers as his grin brightens.

“Oh…”

Regina’s lip catches between her teeth. “I could use a little snuggle time right now.”

“From Mal or Esme?”

She laughs a little as she leans against the counter, her fingers sliding over his forearm. “I meant Esme, but I wouldn’t complain if I got both of them,” she says. “Come up with me.”

“I have to…” His voice trails off as he looks to his saucepan, frowning as he notices the curdled hollandaise. “I… don’t have to do anything. I’ll just… melt some cheese over Roland’s vegetables.”

“To him, there will be no difference,” Regina says, as her hand slips into his as he quickly turns off the stove and lets her lead him toward the stairs, grinning as his fingers lace through hers as they climb.

“ _…together they would sail on a boat with billowed sail, and Jackie kept a look-out, perched on Puff’s gigantic tail…”_

Robin and Regina exchanges glances and slow smiles pull onto their lips as they reach the top of the stairs.

“… _Noble kings and princes would bow whenever they came; and pirate ships would lower their flags, when Puff roared out his name…”_

Regina leaned against the frame of Esme’s bedroom door and Robin’s arm looped around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder as they watched Mal holding Esme on her lap, rocking slowly as she held a pink stuffed dragon with shiny green wings above the little; and Esme’s eyes lit up as she sucked her thumb and reached for the dragon’s tail as Mal sang though the song’s chorus.”

“… _Dragons live forever, but no so little boys; painted wings and giant rings make way for other toys,”_ Mal sings as she dips the stuffed dragon down and bopping it against Esme’s nose. “ _One gray night it happened, Jackie Paper came no more, and Puff that mighty dragon, ceased his fearless roar…”_ Regina feels her breath catch in her chest unexpectedly as Mal continues on. “ _His head was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain; Puff no longer went to play along the Cherry Lane…”_ Looking back over her shoulder, Regina’s eyes met Robin’s and found them soft and sad as he leaned in and pressed a light kiss to her temple.

“ _Without his lifelong friend,”_ Mal sings, her eyes shifting from Esme to the door where Robin and Regina stand, “ _Puff could not be brave; so, Puff, that mighty dragon, slipped into his cave…”_  Leaning in, Mal pauses, pressing her lips to the top of Esme’s wispy red hair as the girl finally captures the pink dragon and hugs it tightly to her chest. “ _Puff the Magic Dragon, lived by the sea; he frolicked through the autumn mist in a land called Honalee.”_

Robin pushes her forward, but still they linger at a distance, allowing Mal the moment with Esme as she sings once more through the chorus—and Regina’s chest clenches as she watches a warm smile stretch over Mal’s lips as she looks down at Esme. “I bet you are wondering why I sang you such a sad song,” she tells her, her smile brightening as Esme looks up at her and bites down on the dragon’s wing. “Because I don’t think it’s a sad song,” she tells her. “I think there’s more to that story than we know.”

Esme makes a grunting noise as she chews on the dragon, her blue eyes watching Mal intently.

“You see, the song was right—dragons live forever—and as a dragon who has lived a very, very long time… time passes so quickly, and I think before Puff even knew it, little Jackie Paper grew up and had a family of his own and maybe he had a little girl just like you and he brought his little girl to play with Puff and they went on wonderful adventures together and… and he got a chance to be happy again,” Mal explains as she cuddles Esme and presses another quick kiss to the top of her head. “Just like _you_ make _me_ happy,” she whispers, looking up at Robin and Regina just a few feet away. “So, tell me, how long were the two of you standing there?”

“Awhile,” Robin answers, his voice hitching in the back of his throat.

“But not long enough,” Regina adds.

Mal waves them over and Regina situates herself on one of the rocker’s arms while Robin sinks down in front of the chair to tickle the bottom of his daughter’s feet. Regina’s arm stretches around Mal, and leaning in, she presses a kiss to her forehead, fully aware that for Mal the song wasn’t just about a fictional dragon who’d lost his playmate. Mal’s head falls to her arm and a smile pulls on to her lips as she watches Robin drop a kiss to Mal’s knee—and finds herself thinking back to the conversation she had with Snow late that afternoon, but somehow far less angry about it. Glancing between them both her smile brightens as she remembers how she’d responded to Snow’s ridiculous question—she really would be completely overjoyed.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for DOQ Week, Day 1 for the prompt "PDA."
> 
> Roland has a birthday and the family stays late; and as the party is winding down, Robin, Regina, and Mal cuddle up together.

This had gone on later than any of them expected–it was just supposed to be a family dinner, after all. **  
**

But after dinner, there’d been cake and ice cream, and of course, a round of presents; and, Roland had been all too excited to open up Risk, one of the board games he’d highlighted and circled with stars on his birthday wishlist. It’d been a present from the Charmings, and he was all too eager to play, despite that it was already well-past eight–and now, here they were at quarter to eleven, and the game was still going.

The fact that it was Roland’s birthday had somehow cut down on the awkwardness–and Regina had been impressed with how Mal handled it all. It was no secret that she had the Charmings didn’t get along–there was a long and painful history that wasn’t easy to forget–and the Charmings had made it very clear that, at best, they didn’t understand the little arrangement she, Robin, and Mal had fallen into. But Mal was a gracious hostess, all smiles as she helped served the cake and made sure Esme didn’t get too fussy; and every now and then, Regina would glance over at Snow and see a soft and puzzled look on her face as she watched her.

Of course, it all felt so ordinary to the three of them–after all, wrangling three kids through dinner and some sort of after-dinner activity was something they did on a daily basis. They had their routines and they went through them with ease–and with a lot of banter and the occasional soft touch.

They’d been up and moving since six that morning–Esme’s usual wakeup time–and as the evening went on, they all got quieter; and they were all more than ready to fall into bed and let sleep consume them.

“Oh, I’ll get that, Regina,” Snow says Regina reaches for a bowl of leftover sloppy joe meat–Roland’s requested entree. “You should sit.”

“It’s fine,” Regina says, mustering a smile that stifles her yawn. “If I stop moving, I’m done for the night.”

“Maybe that’d be a good thing.” Snow looks back into the room, watching as Henry and Roland high-five each other and Hook and David frown. “We should go…”

“No,” Regina insists. “It looks like we’ll have a winner, soon enough, and Roland’s having such a good time. I’d hate to cut it short.” A grin twists onto her lips. “Besides, Esme skipped her nap today and stayed up way later than usual, so she’ll probably sleep in tomorrow.”

“Or wake up cranky.”

Regina laughs a little and nods–that’s the more likely possibility. “Well, it’s a good thing there’s three of us then. We can all take turns with her.”

“Yeah,” Snow murmurs awkwardly, looking quickly to Regina and then back into the living room–and she watches as Mal’s finger’s lace through Robin’s hand he tugs her down into an armchair with him. A warm smile tugs onto Regina’s lips as she watches them. She watches the way Mal’s legs fall over his, the way his hand runs absently over her hip and how she leans in and kisses him–soft and almost chaste, before pulling back and resting her head on his shoulder. “That… really doesn’t bother you?

“It really doesn’t,” she answers easily–her smile warming as she watches Robin press a kiss to Mal’s forehead as her fingers trail up and down his arm. “I love them, and I’m so glad that they love each other.”

Snow takes a breath and she ignores it–she doesn’t have the energy for awkward explanations or questions that drip with disapproval. Instead, she’d rather focus on them–how sweet they look, how good she knows it’ll feel to curl up with them once the day is done, and how happy they make her.

She watches as David’s eyes shift momentarily to them and Henry’s gaze follow, and a soft smile forms on his lips–this is nothing out of the ordinary. They’re an affectionate family–with the kids and with each other–but its mostly something they keep behind closed doors. So, Henry shrugs and his eyebrows arch as he looks to David–and a little giggle bubbles up in her as David shrinks back and focuses on the board game.

“You should join them…” Regina blinks as she looks back at Snow, her brow furrowing. “We’re almost done cleaning up, and I can manage.” Regina’s lips part, ready to say it’s not much and she can handle it, but Snow shakes her head. “Regina, I can find your tupperware and figure out how to use your garbage disposal.” A lopsided grin tugs up at the corner of her mouth, and she nods, relinquishing the leftovers to Snow. She murmurs her thanks as Snow starts to gather up the rest, and she walks into the living room.

Both Robin and Mal grin as she nears, and Robin’s arm opens to her, just before she sinks down onto the armchair with them. Robin’s arm folds around her and her legs stretch out over his lap, tangling with Mal’s has her long fingers trace swirling circles over her knee. A smile pulls onto her lips and her hand settles on Robin’s chest, her fingers lightly stroking back and forth as his head comes to rest atop hers.

She takes a breath and her eyes monetarily sink closed, enjoying the their warm touches and the solace of finally resting at the end of a long day–and she finds that she doesn’t care who’s watching.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin, Mal and Regina cuddle up with the kids and watch Saturday morning cartoons.
> 
> Written for DOQ Week, Day 2- Family Time.

Robin’s eyes flutter open at the sound of crashing thunder and heavy rain drops pelting against the window panes. He sighs as he rolls onto his side and looks at the alarm clock, and no sooner than the time registered, he heard the beginnings of what would soon be Esme’s cries. **  
**

“Not it,” Regina and Mal’s groggy voices say in unison, shifting and stretching out as they adjusted the blankets around themselves.

“Why do I always have to get her?”

“Because,” Mal murmurs, “You sleep closest to the door.”

“It’s less steps for you,” Regina adds.

Rolling his eyes, he gets out of bed, shivering a little as the cool morning air touches legs, and he mutters something under his breath about taking turns–something he knows neither of them will acknowledge hearing. Nonetheless, he smiles as he looks back at them–legs tangled in the blankets and Regina’s head tipped and resting on Mal’s shoulder–and then, he heads down the hall, leaving them to doze back to sleep.

When he reaches the nursery, Esme is standing up in her crib, her face scrunched and her little hands gripping the rail as she whines. A lopsided grin tugs onto Robin’s face as he greets her–she always looks so grumpy in the morning.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” he coos as he lifts her from the crib, kissing her cheeks and her forehead and chin, as his hand smoothes her wild red wisps. He chuckles softly as they spring back up and he carries her downstairs to the kitchen. He grabs a bottle and she’s quick to reach for it, finally flashing him a gummy smile as her fingers stretch out and she grunts with excitement. “Okay,” he murmurs, kissing the top of her head as he kicks the refrigerator door closed. “Let’s go cuddle.”

Esme’s blue eyes turn up and she grins as she gnaws on the bottle; and quickly, he makes his way back to the bedroom, finding Regina and Mal in the exact same positions as they’d been in when he left.

Regina’s eyes open and Mal lifts her head as Robin slides back into bed–and no sooner than he does, Esme is reaching for them. Regina pulls her Esme to her as her knees draw up and Esme flops back against them, giggling as Mal makes silly faces at her. With a content sigh, Robin rolls onto his side and props up his head in his hand–and Esme laughs out as he blows a raspberry against her tiny palm.

It’s not long after that Roland’s head peaks into the room and Regina waves him in. Roland runs to the bed and dives in head first–earning a scowl from his baby sister–and he crawls up between Robin and Regina. He lays back against the pillows, and somehow ends up with the remote, turning on the old Batman cartoons he loves to watch on Saturday mornings.

Mal turns Esme around as she settles down, her blue eyes widening as she stares at the TV, suddenly captivated by the colorful images. Robin grins over at them as he lays back, his head propped up just enough to see the screen–his grin brightening as Regina’s fingers lace through his and her head falls to Mal’s shoulder.

“What’s going on in here?” Henry asks, rubbing at his eyes as he stares into the room–still half asleep.

“Watching Batman,” Roland says simply, not looking away from the TV.

“Oh…”

Robin watches as Henry blinks a couple of times, then cranes his neck to have a look at the TV, a faint smile forming on his lips. For a moment, he just stands there in the doorway, watching the cartoon; and then, he looks hesitantly back to the bed. His bottom lip catches between his teeth as he stares, and Robin wonders if he finds their unconventional arrangement a bit uncomfortable, and maybe even unsettling. But then, Henry takes a breath and struts forward, eyeing each of them as he stands at the foot of the bed.

“If you guys tell anyone about this, I’ll never babysit again,” he says, his voice firm as he crawls into the bed to watch cartoons with his family.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for DOQ Week.
> 
> Robin, Regina and Mal go on a romantic get-away.

For all her blustering and aloofness, Mal felt things deeply.

They knew it bothered her that the Charmings didn’t approve–and they knew that went far deeper than their lack of understanding about their relationship with her. They knew it bothered her that Lily moved away from Storybrooke so soon after they’d been reunited after spending a lifetime apart; and they also knew that no matter what they said or how many times they said it, she’d always feel like the odd one out, like she was just waiting for them to tire of her–they, after all, were soulmates and she was used to being left behind.

Of course, all of that went unspoken.

But when Lily–albeit very apologetically–had to cancel the mother-daughter trip they’d been planning for weeks, it was almost impossible for her to hide her disappointment. Sure, she didn’t let on in conversations with Lily–insisting that she understood, and that her own life should come first and that her work was important–and she’d said again and again that they could always reschedule for another time. Yet, when she hung up, she’d struggled against her tears, fighting to keep them at bay as she quietly announced she’d be heading to bed early, feigning a bad headache.

“We should take her somewhere,” Robin had suggested. “She’s already got a plane ticket.”

A grin tugged onto Regina’s lips. “Somewhere nice and warm…”

“Somewhere we could… keep her mind off things.”

Regina’s eyebrow arched. “Somewhere we could have a lot of loud uninterrupted sex.”

Robin laughs. “What did you think I meant by keeping her mind off of things?”

And that had settled it.

Regina did most of the planning–and after hours of searching, she booked a private little cabana at that was situated on secluded stretch beach on a resort in Bora Bora. Her heart fluttered with anticipation as she considered what it’d be like, stretched out in the sun with her loves in a place where any person they ran into was a person they’d never see again, where they could be carefree and away from the prying judgemental eyes of Storybrooke..

They arrive at the resort in the late afternoon, and Regina can’t help but grin as Mal checks out their cabana with a cat-like interest–pushing her hands against the bed to check the firmness, opening drawers and flipping on switches to see which lamps lit up. Robin opens the wide French doors and his breath catches at the sight of the sandy beach and the blue-green ocean–and a little thrill runs down her spine at the prospect of spending the week in this beautiful place with them.

Regina starts to unpack their things–and Mal’s eyebrow juts up at the realization of how little they’ve packed.

“Uh, Regina,” she begins as a smirk pulls into her lips and she dangles two bathing suit bottoms from her fingertips. “I don’t see any tops…”

“I didn’t come to Bora Bora for tan lines,” she replied evenly. “I didn’t see the need to pack things that wouldn’t be used.” She shrugs and looks between them. “It was a waste of space.”

“Ah,” Mal says, her eyes sliding to Robin–obviously affected by the conjured images of his loves sunning topless on the beach. “In fact, I… feel like a lot of things are missing.”

Regina only shrugs and makes an offhanded comment about having selected a private section of the beach a reason, and Robin’s lips press together, in a likely effort to pace himself for what promises to be a very long, but rewarding vacation. Regina glances up in time to see Mal’s eyes roll and a smirk stretch over her lips as she drops the bikini bottoms back down into the bag, and her own smile warms as Mal joins Robin in front of the open doors. His arm folds around her shoulders as watch the waves washing up onto the sand, and Mal turns, looking back over her shoulder as she waves Regina over to join them. Regina drops a kiss to the back of Robin’s hand as she joins them. She can’t help but notice the way he grins at her as Mal’s arm slides around her waist, hugging her close–and soon her lips find Mal’s…

Before long, it’s time for dinner–and when Mal steps out with her long blonde hair rolled into a low bun, wearing a low-cut red halter crop top and a pair of white linen pants, she can tell by Robin’s reaction that he too is considering skipping dinner and ravaging her on the spot.

Nonetheless, they head down to dinner and find a little table in a dimly lit corner. They sit too close and drink too much wine, all trading kisses over appetizers and letting their hands explore each other through the main course. At some point, it strikes her that no one seems to be paying attention to them, that everyone is caught up in own little worlds, not caring about the group of strangers nestled in the corner–and that emboldens her.

“We should dance,” she murmurs, her eyes shifting to the patio. “Come on…”

“You hate dancing,” Mal says, a lopsided grin forming over her lips.

“But you don’t,” Robin murmurs as his lips slide down Mal’s jaw and his eyes meet Regina’s. “It’ll be fun.”

Regina watches as Mal chews at her bottom lip and looks between them. “I know what the two of you are trying to do…”

“Do you?”

“Is it working?”

Mal giggles a bit as she looks between them. “It is, and I love you for it–both of you.”

Robin slides out first, followed by Mal and then Regina, who quickly downs the last of her champagne before Robin leads them both to the patio. It’s not really dancing that’s going on–sure, there’s music and sure people are moving, but she wouldn’t exactly classify what’s going on as dancing–and she can’t help but smile as Mal’s arms go up and her hips start to sway. Robin’s quick to join her, and then, after a long deep and a couple of quick _I’m not drunk enough to do this_  thoughts, she joins them.

They don’t last long on the dance floor and quickly decide to move back to their cabana.

They leave the French doors open and the few layers that they’re wearing are quickly peeled away, and both Regina and Mal smirk at Robin’s obvious arousal, and he makes a quip about still not being over the image of them sunning topless on the beach.

And then, their attention turns to Mal…

Mal lays back on the bed, propping herself up on her elbows as Regina situates herself at her side and Robin at her feet. Regina watches as a grin pulls onto her lips as Robin parts her knees, peppering kisses down her her inner thighs as his fingers drag slowly through her sleekness. Regina’s hand ghosts down her stomach, trailing back and forth, her nails dragging against Mal’s warm skin. She gets just low enough to tease before her hand retreats back up, and she nips at Mal’s full lips. Mal smiles and lets out a breath as her eyes focus on Regina’s lips and she leans forward in an attempt to catch them. Regina laughs a little, catching her bottom lip again, this time sucking at it as her hand slide to the back of Mal’s neck, drawing her into a kiss. She kisses her hungrily and she smiles against her mouth as Mal’s breath catches as Robin’s tongue makes its first swipe–and again as he finds her clit.

Regina moans into the kiss as Mal’s hand slides between her legs, moving expertly as fingers circle around her clit. Regina leans in, pushing her back against the pillows, forcing her fingers to slide against her wetness–and she laughs against her mouth when Mal gasps as Robin’s fingers sink into her.

Mal’s head falls back, breaking the kiss and Regina’s lips trail down her neck, sucking hard at her warm skin, enjoying the way her body begins to wither as Robin continues to pleasure her. Her eyes open and she watches him–watching the way his lips form around her clit, sucking hard and making her breath grow ragged.

She feels herself growing wetter as she focuses on them and she starts to rock herself against Mal’s hand. Her breath catches in her chest as two of Mal’s fingers slip into her and her thumb rubs hard at her clit. She’s not sure if it’s the wine or the ocean breeze or just the idea of the three of them having this time together, but she feels the first of what she hopes will be many orgasms building–and she begins to rock harder.

Regina hears Robin mutter something–something about the way the look together and a smile tugs up at the corner of her mouth–she loves when he watches them. She lets out a low moan as Mal’s fingers begin to curl inside of her, moving faster and more erratically as Robin buries his face between her legs brings her to climax. It’s not long after that that Regina is coming–rocking harder and harder as she calls out her pleasure and eventually as to pulls herself away when she becomes too sensitive to stand it.

Laying next to Mal,she breathes for a couple of minutes in an attempt to recover. She swallows hard, as she tries to catch her breath and come down from her high, but before she can, Mal’s hand is between her legs, rubbing slowly through the warm sleekness there.

“I want to taste you,” she says, practically purring as her eyes meet Regina’s. “I want to make you scream.” A grin pulls onto Regina’s lips and she nods, her eyes shifting to Robin whose hand rubs up her leg. “And you,” Mal says, turning her attention to him. “I want _you_  to make _me_ scream.”

A sly grin pulls onto Robin’s lips and Regina rises up onto her knees, their eyes meeting briefly and there’s an unspoken understanding that getting out of town for awhile, offering up warm weather, sandy beaches and the freedom to relax and be themselves, to block away the rest of the world and focus on each other for a while was a fantastic idea–and though this is the first time they’ve ever been on a romantic little getaway and though their week together is still young, it won’t be the last.


	9. Chapter 9

Regina’s eyes are heavy and she can feel herself losing the battle to stay awake; and in spite of herself and her desire to savor all of this for just a little longer, she feels herself drifting to sleep for just a couple minutes longer…

It’s their last night in Bora Bora, and they’re all stretched out in a messy tangle of limbs on the bed. It’s been a week of absolute splendor– late nights and early mornings, waking each other with warm kisses and soft touches, sending waves of pleasure through each other. They didn’t follow a schedule or set alarms–and aside from checking in every day with the kids, they were free to do whatever felt right in the moment. It’d been so nice not having to worry, not having to wonder who they might upset or whose feathers might be ruffled by something perfectly innocent like a look or a gesture.

They’d been up all night–sipping wine and talking aimlessly on the terrace, looking out at the water when Mal fell quiet. Robin and Regina exchanged glances before looking for at her, finding her a bit wistful and lost in thought. She’d brushed it off at first; she hadn’t wanted to spoil the evening–and at first, they’d accepted that, pouring more wine as they’d watched the sunset.

But Mal hadn’t come back to them–she’d stayed lost in her thoughts, staring off in the darkness.

Regina’s fingers strummed over her knee and Robin leaned in a little and finally, in a quiet voice she’d admitted that sometimes none of it felt real. At first, she hadn’t wanted to elaborate. She changed tried to change the subject and she’d tried to move them on, but both Robin and Regina kept coming back to it–not wanting to just it go, knowing that if they didn’t pull it out of her now, she’d only blame the wine in the morning.

Finally, she’d sighed and drawn up her legs, hugging them to herself as she looked between them with sad and distant eyes–and admitted she wondered if there’d come a time when they’d move on, when they’d want to go back to it being just the two of them rather than the three of them. She’d taken a breath and shrugged, almost resigned to its inevitability as her eyes fell away from theirs and she admitted that she wouldn’t blame them , it’d be an easier life.

No matter what they said, it was difficult to reassure her–and though she smiled and nodded and said that she believed them when they said that they loved her–the doubt and sadness remained. She’d bristle a bit as she finished off her wine, shaking her head and laughing, as she apologized for ruining a perfectly lovely evening.

“Mal,” Regina cut in. “We’re not Stephan and Briar Rose. We won’t just decide that… this isn’t what we want.”

“Perhaps not,” she’d murmured, as her shoulder shrugged. “But you two are the ones with the fairytale love–soul mates and pixie dust and destinies entwined.”

“It’s never occurred to you that… maybe you’re a part of that?” Robin asked. “That perhaps you are part of what makes Regina and I meant to be together.”

The sentiment touched her–her misty eyes made that apparent–but she didn’t believe it, and she quickly insisted on changing the subject–and reluctantly Robin and Regina agreed, but every now and then, they catch her, drifting away from them–and they hadn’t hesitated to pull her back in with sweet smiled and lingering touches, determined to remind her of their love in whatever way they can…

_Regina’s hand curls around Mal’s and her stomach flutters as they walk down the cobblestone path toward a tavern near the Sherwood Forest. She’s still not entirely used to it–this game that she can Mal play whenever she can sneak away from the castle, usually only when the king travels–and without an excessive amount of alcohol, she finds it difficult to work up her nerve.  But Mal tugs her along and she easily follows, anticipation bubbling within her–and she knows she’ll more than enjoy herself once it’s started._

_The tavern is dimly lit and it’s just past dusk–and they’re far enough from the kingdom that she won’t be recognized. They have a drink together–and then another, and another, taking their time as they survey the room–and then finally, Regina’s eyes settle on someone._

_A grin twists onto Mal’s lips as she follows Regina’s gaze to blue-eyed man sitting at one of the tables. His laugh is loud and his eyes are kind. “What do you think?” Regina asks, looking momentarily to Mal, and then back again. “He could… work.”_

_“Mm, yes,” Mal nods, a low laugh rumbling up from her. “He could work just fine.”_

_And then Regina’s smile fades a bit as she watches a woman round the table, smiling brightly as she sits on his lip. His smile broaden at the sight of her and his arm slips around her waist as she draws him into a kiss. Her fingers slide to the back of his neck, and from where she and Mal are sitting, she can see the man smiling into the kiss. “Or… not.”_

_“I… wouldn’t rule him out just yet,” Mal says as another man rounds the table, his hand slipping over the woman’s back. She pulls out of the kiss hand smiles up at him as he offers her his hand–and Regina’s eyebrows arch as his arm slips around her waist and he presses a kiss to her cheek, as he the other man kisses the back of her hand and grins, sipping his drink as he watches them go. “Because it appears, he just allowed his wife to go upstairs with another man.” She chuckles softly and takes a quick sip of her drink. “And you know what’s… upstairs.”_

_“How do you know they’re married?”_

_“The rings,” Mal says easily. “You know I have an eye for…”_

_“Anything shiny, I know,” Regina laughs and her bottom lip catches between her teeth as she looks back at the man. “So, you think…”_

_“I think I want to watch you seduce him,” Mal interjects as Regina turns back to face her. “It’s your turn.”_

_“But I’ve never…” She stops, quickly looking back over her shoulder. “It’s just… you’re usually the one to…”_

_“Yes, but, you like this one, so… go.” Regina’s stomach flutters as her eyes meet Mal’s and she watches as grin tugs onto her lips. “Go,” she urges. “It’ll be fun. I promise._ ”

Regina sighs as her eyes start to flutter and she stretches out on the bed–and suddenly she’s aware that it’s daylight. She can feel the sun streaming into the room and she presses her eyes closed, rolling over to feel emptiness beside her.

She lifts her head and she feels a bit disoriented–and she watches as Robin tucks the stuffed lobster they’d brought for Esme into one of their suitcases, as Mal folds a pair of shorts.

“How long was I asleep?”

A grin pulls onto Mal’s lips as she drops the sbhorts into the suitcase. “Quite a while,” she says, walking back toward the bed as Robin turns, zipping the suitcase. “You were the first to sleep and the last to wake.” Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she reaches out and tucks Regina’s hair behind her ear. “But, then, we did exhaust you, didn’t we?”

Robin chuckles softly as he turns to face them. “We didn’t want to wake, but… it’s almost eleven and…”

“Oh! Our flight!”

“You still have two hours, love.”

“But I need to print the tickets and…”

A victorious little smile tugs onto Robin’s lips. “We took care of it.”

“You two…”

“Yes,” Mal says, “We… managed to figure it out.” She laughs. “After about an hour.”

Regina rolls her eyes, “And you’re sure you printed out the right thing? I’d hate to…”

“Here,” Robin cuts in, unzipping a pouch at the front of the suitcase. “I’ll prove it.” Mal chuckles as Regina’s eyebrows arch, and Robin reaches in, pulling out a few pieces of printer paper, bearing the name of their airline–and then, between them is another piece and piece that catches Robin’s eye.

Regina and Mal exchange glances as Robin sets the tickets on the dresser and unfolds the paper. “This looks like one of Henry’s storybook pages,” Robin murmurs, unfolding it as Regina and Mal lean forward for a better look, and and a smile curls onto her lips as she sees an illustration of the three of them sitting at a table in Robin’s tavern, smiling and drinking together–and Regina feels a flicker of a memory, or maybe just a fragment of a hazy dream.

“I… don’t understand,” Mal says, shaking her head as she takes the illustration and looks between Regina and Robin. “This never happened.”

“No,” Robin says easily. “But maybe…”

“Maybe it was supposed to,” Regina murmurs as a warm smile tugs onto her lips–and Mal’s breath hitches in her throat as she smiles.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for DOQ Week.
> 
> Regina teaches Mal to make pie, and things get messy.

Roland has quickly learned the benefit of having three parents–the option for majority rule. **  
**

It was a warm spring day–one of the first of the year that didn’t require long sleeves or jackets–and Roland was set on eating dinner outside. Regina had been hesitant, reminding him that it wasn’t summer yet and that they’d have to pull the furniture from the garage and clean off the barbeque–and, she’d really hoped to make it all seem more work than it was worth. But Roland had remained excited, and both Mal and Robin readily agreed to it–voicing that it sound like a wonderful idea–and it was two parents against one; so dinner that night would be served on the patio, no matter how much she hated the idea.

Robin had decided on barbecued ribs–and though Regina had done her fair share of grumbling about the whole ordeal, she had to admit that they smelled amazing now that they were on the grill.

Through the window, she watches as Henry and Roland sit at the patio table, chatting with Robin about something she can’t quite make out but seems to amuse them as they peeled potatoes for the potato salad. Mal is standing beside Robin, fiddling with the little burner at the side of the barbeque, trying it get it to ignite so they potatoes could be boiled outside on the patio instead of inside in the kitchen–because according to Roland, it was just more fun that way–and she watches as a bright smile stretches across Mal’s lips when the burner ignites–and a moment later, she sees Mal turn back to the house.

“I suppose if we’re boiling potatoes,” Mal says, entering the kitchen. “We should have something to boil them in.” Regina grins as Mal flips on the water, filling the pot. “This always takes forever…”

“The water?” Regina asks, looking over at her as a chuckle rises into her voice.

“Boiling it.” She sighs. “I don’t know how you and Robin _enjoy_ this.”

“Cooking?”

Mal only sighs in response, tapping her fingers as the pot fills.

“I could teach you…”

Mal blinks as she turns to face her. “Teach me…”

Regina shrugs. “It’d help pass the time,” she murmurs, going to the refrigerator and pulling out a carton of eggs. “I already have the pie crust made and the filling is easy.” She pauses. “We could make the meringue together.”

“Oh…” Mal hesitates as she turns off the water. “I don’t…”

“It’ll be fun,” Regina cuts in, her voice insistent. “Come on.”

A grin curls onto Mal’s lips as she nods. “Let me just go take this out to the boys and… I’ll be back to make meringue.”

A victorious little smile edges onto Regina’s lips as she goes to the cabinet to retrieve the rest of the ingredients. It’s not that Mal doesn’t know how to cook, it’s just that she doesn’t have much experience with it and the recipes in her wheelhouse aren’t all that varied–after all, for most of her life she’d lived in a world so different than the one they lived in now, and after coming to Storybrooke she’d taken a room at Granny’s, and there’d never been much of a reason to learn.

When Mal returns, Regina rubs her hands together, prompting them to get started.

“So, this is actually really easily,” she begins as Mal cocks an eyebrow. “First, we have to separate the egg whites from the egg yolks.”

“And… how exactly does that happen?” Mal blinks, “Aren’t they all… mixed up in there together?”

Regina’s lips purse. “Let me show you.” She cracks an egg and slowly drains one the whites from one half into the other, careful to keep the yoke separate. “See?”

Mal nods, and reaches for one of the eggs. “I… think I might need a little help with that. It looks complicated.”

Regina’s rolls her eyes. “You’re so transparent.”

“What?” Mal feigns. “I’ve never done this before.”

Regina sighs, but nonetheless, reaches around her, holding Mal’s hands in hers. Together, they break the egg and separate it–and she can practically feel Mal’s smile when she leans back into her as they stand almost side-by-side at the counter. Regina reaches for another egg as Mal drops the shells onto the counter–chuckling softly as Regina’s eyes follow the shells–and Regina’s fingers rub at her wrists as she does the next egg and then the next.

“What comes next?”

“Um… well, they have to sit for awhile–that’s how they get so foamy–so we should probably get started on the pie filling.”

“Didn’t you say that’d be quick?”

Regina nods. “It only takes a few minutes.”

“Hm, well, maybe we could… do something else while we wait?”

Regina grins. “The point here is to make a pie.”

“Sure…” Mal agrees as she turns and leans against the edge of the counter. “But I happen to know that you are a very skilled multi-tasker.”

“Am I…”

Mal nods again and this time, her hands find Regina’s waist, pulling her in. Regina can’t help but smile as her eyes fall to Mal’s lips–and then, she takes a breath and turns out of her hold, chuckling softly as a little whimper escapes Mal.

They make the filling and leave it in a bowl, and Regina does her best to ignore the way Mal touches her–soft, feather-like strokes as she pretend to pay attention to Regina’s instructions.

Letting out a long breath, Regina crouches down to retrieve the hand-beaters and shoves them toward Mal. “You’ll like this part,” she insists.

Mal frowns at the appliance. “Somehow I doubt that.”

Leaning onto the tips of her toes, Regina kisses Mal’s cheek. “You beat the eggs, I’ll grab the sugar.”

Mal pouts, but nods, carefully plugging in the beater. She sighs as Regina looks back at her from over her shoulder as she reaches for the bag of sugar–and then, Mal turns the beater on. Regina grins as the egg whites start to fluff–and her grin warms as a surprised smile edges onto Mal’s lips as the eggs begin to fluff.

“Keep mixing while I add the sugar.”

Taking a short breath, Regina begins to add the sugar and free hand slides low on Mal’s back. Mal turns to look at her, her brow arching. “I thought we were making pie.”

“We are,” Regina says, her voice very matter-of-fact. “But you said it yourself, I am a very skilled multi-tasker.” Mal chuckles softly as Regina’s lips slide against her jaw, and she turns, ever so slightly in an attempt to catch her lips–and as she does, her finger pushes down onto the beater’s gauge–and before either of them realizes it, merengue is splattering up from bowl and onto them.

Mal gasps as Regina pulls away, grimacing as she turns off the beater. “Something tells me that that wasn’t supposed to happen.”

Regina’s eyes widen as the back door opens–and Robin immediately bursts into a laugh at the sight of them covered in meringue. “Oh,” he murmurs, looking between them as he laughs. “I can honestly say, I’ve never been more attracted to you.”

“You think you’re funny,” Mal spits back, wiping a patch of sticky meringue from her cheek.

Robin continues to laugh as he rounds the counter, pecking both their lips as they try to clean up. “Beautiful and tasty,” he says, looking between them as he leans against the counter. “What ever did I do to get so lucky?”

Both Regina and Mal sigh, audibly annoyed, as they continue to clean up–and then, a grin edges onto Regina’s lips as she reaches into the bowl, smiling triumphantly as she flings the meringue at Robin.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for DOQ Week.
> 
> Lily comes for a visit.

It’d been Henry’s idea–kind of. **  
**

He’d noticed that whenever Mal got off the phone with Lily, she seemed a little sad. She never said anything about it, but they all knew that she missed her daughter–after all, she’d only just found her before she had to leave again. And so one night, when she’d hung up the phone and offered them a listless smile before excusing herself to check on Esme, Henry made an offhanded comment that set the entire plan into motion, mentioning that it’d be nice if they invited Lily up for a weekend.

It wasn’t that Lily wasn’t welcome, but she’d grown up outside of Storybrooke, in the real world away from Maleficent–and being in their strange little town had been uncomfortable; and though she and Mal shared an instant bond, it was hard for her to rely on someone and open up, and she likely felt like an outsider.

Regina made the phone call–and Lily jumped at the opportunity to surprise her mother. Henry offered to babysit when Regina pretended she had to work and Robin kept Mal busy for the afternoon–taking her on an extra long hike and afterward doing some window shopping at Gold’s pawn shop, knowing she’d spend hours ogling the shiny merchandise. And, as expected, it had managed to do the trick as he’d awaited Regina’s text message, letting him know that it was time to go home.

Regina had picked her up from the airport, and she couldn’t help but smile when Lily hugged Henry, rubbing her hand over his hair as she pulled him into a hug. Roland stood at the bottom of the stairs, watching with wide but shy eyes as Henry introduced them–and Regina felt her chest swell, watching how seamlessly Lily fit into their little family.

Then, right on cue, Esme began to whimper as she awoke from her nap.

A hesitant grin edged onto Regina’s lips as she looked to Lily. “Have you met our youngest?”

“No, I… uh, left town before you and Robin and my mom were… uh, a thing.”

Regina nods. “Would you like to?”

“She’s really cute,” Henry says, as if it entice her.

“When she’s not screaming,” Roland adds. “Or pulling my hair.” His eyes shift to Lily. “I’d watch out, if I were you.”

Lily laughs softly as she looks to Roland–and in that moment is so like Mal. “I’d love to meet her.”

Regina’s grin brightens and she leads Lily upstairs. “And while we’re up here, I’ll show you your room.” She stops on the stairs and turns. “You are staying here, right? I just realized we didn’t discuss…”

“Oh,” Lily cuts in, her grin turning sheepish. “I, uh, just sort of assumed I’d be staying here.”

“Perfect!”

“Yeah, perfect!” Roland echos as they make their way to the nursery to find Esme standing in her crib and scowling. “That’s her grumpy face,” Roland whispers to Lily. “Better pull your hair back.”

Regina lifts Esme from her crib, cuddling her against her chest as she peppers kisses over the baby’s chubby cheeks. “Hey, peanut,” she murmurs in a sing-song voice. “There’s someone you need to meet.”

Esme grunts and before Regina can make the proper–and slightly awkward–introduction, they hear the front door open and Robin calls out her name. Henry calls back, announcing they’re all in Esme’s room and Regina’s heart flutters with anticipation as she hears their footsteps on the stairs.

“Ooh, Regina,” Mal calls as they start down the hallway. “I bought the prettiest brace–” She stops in the middle of the thought as she stands in the doorway, a sharp gasp escaping her as her eyes fall to her daughter. “Lily!”

“Hey, mom…”

“I… what are you…” Her voice halts as she shakes her head. “You’re here.”

“Yeah, my, uh, vacation time finally kicked in at work and…” She takes a breath. “I couldn’t wait to visit my family.”

Regina watches as Mal’s eyes fill with tears and Robin presses a soft kiss to her temple before pushing her forward–and a moment later, her arms wrap around Lily. “I missed you,” she says in a loud, yet hushed whisper as she hugs her close. “I am so glad you’re here.”

“Me, too,” Lily says as she leans into the hug.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for DOQ Week.
> 
> Regina dresses up as the EQ for Robin and Mal.

It’s not often that she has the house to herself–and as she looks around, she can’t help but feel a little disappointed. The rest of the family has plans for the day–Robin and Mal are on a hike and Henry is spending the day sailing with Killian and Emma. Roland was invited to a friend’s house for a playdate; and even Esme had plans to spend her day with Neal and the Charmings watching a children’s play in the park and a toddler swim class at the community center afterward. Of course, they’d all extended invitations to her–to hike, to sail and to spend the afternoon at the park with the kids–but at the prospect to having a whole day to herself was tempting. Yet, now that it was here and she was actually all alone in the quiet house, all the promises and expectations of solace and relaxation seemed like glorified words for boredom–and she was never one to handle boredom well. **  
**

She finds herself in the bedroom, laying on her back her fingers lazily slip between her legs.

She lets out a breathy little sigh as two fingers press harder into her clit, rubbing in a circular motion.

It feels nice–really, it does–but she misses them.

She misses their hands exploring her, ghosting over her body as they pleasure her. She misses their lips on her skin–sucking and nipping and sending warm, tingling sensations over her skin.

Her lip catches between her teeth as one of her fingers slips inside of herself, and she imagines that the finger belongs to Mal–and a little grin tugs onto her lips as she considers it, drawing on her memories of how she’d start off slow, teasing her in the best possible way. She’d slip in a second, and maybe a third, letting them slowly pick up their pace, keeping her squirming and writhing and asking for more. And then, they’d curl, stroking that spot that would have her back arching up and have her gasping–and Robin’s lips would be forced from her lips to her neck. He’d suck hard at her skin, letting his lips slide from her neck to her shoulder and then across her clavicle to the other side. He’d catch an earlobe between his teeth as his hands found her breast, squeezing as he kneaded the soft skin. She’d moan as her head fell back as Mal’s fingers thursted in and out of her and Robin’s lips dragged down to the spot between her breasts. He’d roll her her nipples between his fingers with just the right amount of pressure as Mal’s fingers curled, massaging that spot that always felt so damn good–that spot that she could never quite reach on her own.

Her eyes open and she sighs in frustration, looking to the empty space beside her on the bed–she needs them, and their absence is absolute torture.

And then, she wonders if she can’t use that to her advantage.

She brings herself to an unsatisfying finish, but it manages to take off some of the edge–and as she begins to set her plan in motion, she finds herself getting worked up again and the anticipation is almost too much for her to stand.

She doesn’t remember when exactly, but there’d been a night early on in their relationship–maybe the third or fourth time they’d been together, still before they’d completely committed to anything more than just sex. They’d all been a tangles mess in her bed, trading kisses and coaxing out other fantasies they’d all had, and Robin and Mal both admitted to fantasizing about being dominated by the Evil Queen. Her brow had arched when Mal called it a missed opportunity and Robin confessed that the thought of it had kept him up after meeting her in the Enchanted Forest in the year they’d spent other before the second curse. There’d been a few laughs as they commented on those tight, tantalizing dress Regina wore in those days, the way her lips would curl as she sneered and the way her hips would sashay as she moved–and she scoffed at them. And then, after that night, none of it was ever mentioned again.

For the rest of her day, she loses herself in creating the fantasy–carefully applying thick makeup and styling in her hair in a way that’s reminiscent of her days as queen, and choosing lingerie that fit the part.

She chooses a red leather corset that’s laced with black ribbon and a satin black garter belt that matches the ribbon to hold up the lacy black stockings that come up past her knees. She chooses not to wear the bra, letting her breasts sit up atop the corset and a red lace thong that leave nothing to the imagination. Her feet sit in high heeled stilettos and she’s wearing heavy jewelry–red stones set in black–that are reminiscent of the pieces she used to choose.

She takes a long breath as she hears the front door open and close–and she looks at herself in the mirror, her stomach fluttering with anticipation as she hears their voices nearing as they make their way upstairs, likely wanting a quick shower to refresh themselves. A coy smile edges onto her lips as she lifts a set of silk scarves from the bed, twirling them around her fingers and anticipation bubbles up within her, wanting them so badly that she’s practically dripping as she thinks of all the things she wants to do to them.

“You’re late,” she growls as they reach the threshold of the bedroom door, halting as they take her in with wide eyes and slack jaws. A grin twists onto her lips as she struts toward them. “You know I don’t like to be kept waiting,” she says, her voice dropping an octave as her lips hover at Robin’s and her hand ghosts over Mal’s jaw as she looks to her with sultry eyes. “And now, you’re going to pay.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of Chapter 12; written for DOQ Week.

This is outside of her comfort zone–but somehow, that makes it a little more thrilling. It took only a moment for them to understand, for them to realize what it was that she was doing–and they readily played along. She watches as Robin’s eyes linger at her bare breasts and a coy grin edges onto Mal’s lips, and her heart beats wildly as she begins to twist the scarves around her fingers.

“What’s gotten into you?” Mal purrs–and Regina’s eyebrow arches. “So fiesty today.”

“I don’t like to be kept waiting.”

Robin nods, finally looking up from her breasts, his blue eyes shining with excitement as they meet hers. “And, what shall our punishment be…M’Lady.”

“It’s Your Majesty!” She growls as she looks between them. “Now, who goes first?” Taking a step in, she presses the tips of her fingers to Mal’s throat and her other hand slips to Robin’s belt, giving it a hard tug. “Hm, suddenly shy?” She laughs and steps around them, swaying her hips and grinning to herself knowing that exactly where their eyes have fallen. “Fine, have it your way,” she says in a low as she steps up behind Robin, her teeth grazing the crook of his neck as her hand slides against Mal’s ass–and then, with a flick of her wrist, purple smoke surrounds them, and when it fades, they’ve both been stripped naked. “Mm, much better,” she says, taking the time to let her eyes linger over each of them. “Much, much better.”

Stepping in, she pushes Robin back a little, edging him back to the bed. When his knees hit the mattress, she orders him onto the bed–and then, she turns her attention to Mal. Placing a knee on either side of him, she hovers above him and it takes everything in her not to touch him–not to allow them both the pleasure they so desire. Robin’s hand reaches for her hip and she swats it away, her eyes widening as she feigns fury.

“Who said you could touch?”

A grin pulls onto his lips and he swallows hard as she lowers herself, hovering so close to his cock that he can likely feel the warmth radiating from her. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty,” he says, in a shaky voice that’s evidence of his growing arousal. “I didn’t know.”

“Hm, ignorance is no excuse,” she barks, flicking her wrists as and binding his hands up over his head. She grins as he again swallows and his cock twitches. A grin pulls onto her lips as she looks down at it and she knows exactly what he’s hoping she’ll do–so she chooses to do the opposite, pushing herself up his body without even so much as a brush of contact. She ties one of the scarves over his eyes and she leans in. “Now, I want you to imagine what I’m going to do to her,” she whispers in a low voice, watching as his adam’s apple bobs. She pulls back, letting her index finger trail down his chest and stomach, stopping and pulling back just before she touches his cock–and he lets out a little groan as her weight shifts off of the bed.

And then, she turns her attention to Mal.

“Such a good girl,” she purrs as she strides toward her. “Waiting for instructions.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” she murmurs with a nod, a little gasp escaping her as Regina’s hand slips between her legs. “Mm…”

“Does that feel good?” Regina asks, her eyes shifting back to Robin and a grin tugging onto her lips as his cock twitches. “Already so wet…”

“Mm, yes,” Mal coos as Regina’s thumb rubs at her clit. “So good.”

A finger slips inside of her and her eyes cast up, watching as Mal’s head tips back a little and her breath catches when Regina adds a second finger. A low moan escapes her as her fingers continue to move, picking up the pace. Mal’s legs part a little more, allowing her more access–and then, taking a breath, Regina pulls away from her.

Mal’s eyes fly open and a grin twists onto Regina’s lips as she orders her onto the bed–and once more, Robin’s cock twitches, begging for attention.

With a flick of her wrists, Mal’s hands are bound–and then, a devilish little grin edges onto her lips. “Remember,” she begins, in a low voice. “No touching. Only I can touch.”

“You’ll hear no complaints from me,” Robin says in a husky voice, his hips writhing with anticipation.

“We’ll see about that,” Regina returns, a devilish little grin forming on her lips despite the fact that neither of her lovers can see it–and she realizes, she’s enjoying this more than she thought she would.

She sits on her knees between them–and she’s dripping wet. Taking a breath, she lets her hand slip into scrap of lace that covers her, and she lets out a little whimper as she fingers herself, momentarily forgetting about Robin and Mal bound up in front of her as her thumb rubs furiously at her clit.

Mal lets out a frustrated little sigh, pulling her back into the moment and she watches as Robin’s hips shift–and she takes a breath, willing her magic to her fingertips as her hand ghosts up Robin’s inner thigh. His breath catches and his back arches as an icy sensation works its way upward, consuming him. A satisfied little grin tugs onto her lips as his cock jumps at the sensation–and then, she watches as his expression changes as the magic warms him.

“Oh, damn it, Regina,” he breathes out.

“You like that?” She asks, practically purring as she sends another icy wave through him, watching once more as his expression–and he only grunts in reply as his breath catches in his throat.

“And you,” she breathes out, turning her attention to Mal. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you.”

“I should certainly hope n–” Mal’s voice cuts off as Regina’s fingertips press just above her clit, sending the same icy wave through her that she sent through Robin; but for Mal, it concentrates on her clit. She grins as she watches Mal’s hips buck upward, unable to escape the icy sensation–and just before it becomes unbearable, she touches her again, flooding her with warmth.

For a moment, she watches the result of her magical handiwork, watching as they’re overcome by contrasting sensual sensations, alternating between cold and hot, pushing them just close enough to the edge, but never over–letting them near orgasm, but never allowing them to reach it.

And she know’s it’s driving them mad.

She looks between them, watching the way they twist and writhe on the bed, their bodies practically bucking as their breath grows ragged and muffled whimpers escape them. And she feels herself growing increasingly around. The little piece of lace between her legs is soaked through, her thighs are wet–and she wants them both so badly.

Waving her hand, the lace is removed and her hand slides through the sleekness, two fingers easily slipping in. Her eyes close momentarily as she takes a breath–and then, a smile curls onto her lips. She crawls forward, catching their attention as her weight shifts on the bed–and she knows their wondering what comes next.

Her teeth catch Robin’s earlobe and she laughs. “I can’t wait for her to eat me.”

“Mmmm…”

“Such a pity that you can’t,” she murmurs. “You’ll just have to imagine it… imagine her tongue swirling around my clit, her lips sucking at it as her tongue fucks me…” she laughs as his jaw clenches, “How my breasts will sway as I rock against her mouth, how my hips will…”

“Oh fuck…”

“You want to watch…” she says, her fingers reaching out in search of Mal, her palm pressing flat against her stomach. “You want to watch us.”

“Yes,” he breathes out as Mal whimpers with anticipation. “God, yes.”  
  


“Well,” she says, pulling away from him as she rises up onto her knees, flicking her wrist and removing the scarves from their eyes. “Aren’t you lucky that your Queen is feeling benevolent.”

“Always,” Robin breathes out, his eyes almost immediately falling to her sleek thighs as she hovers over Mal.

Mal swallows hard as her eyes shift up, looking up at Regina’s body as she catches her bottom lip between her teeth. “I want to taste you, my Queen,” she murmurs, her voice dripping with arousal.

“If that’s what you want,” she says, almost as if she doesn’t care, as if she hasn’t been thinking about Mal’s supple lips closing around her clut, her teeth tugging at her lips as her tongue dips inside of her all day.

“I do,” she purrs as Regina lowers herself to her mouth–immediately sucking in a breath at that first sensation. Mal’s breath is warm and her lips are soft, and and her tongue moves eagerly. She feels good–she feels so fucking good–and it’s easy to lose herself in it.

Her hips rock against Mal and she frees her hands, wanting to feel her fingers pressing into her thighs–and she lets out a satisfied sigh when Mal does just that. She continues to rock herself against Mal as Mal continues to lick and suck and squeeze.

“Oh, fuck, the two of you are… fuck,” Robin sighs, pulling her into the moment–and her eyes fall to his aching erection and for an all too brief moment, she feels bad about his bound hands, knowing that there’s little he can do to relieve himself–but that’s not how she wants him to come.

Mal nips at her clit and her breath catches in her chest, a little gasp escaping her as she starts to unravel, willfully losing control. Her ragged breaths turn to whimpers as her orgasm builds, leaving her bucking and writhing as it finally flooding through her. Mal’s lips relinquish her clit and her hands rub gently at her thighs–and Robin groans beside them.

Swallowing hard, she takes a few breaths as she draws herself up and tries to regain composure–and then turns her attention to Robin.

She keeps his hands bound above his head as she lowers herself onto him–slowly sinking down, taking his length completely. He lets out a shallow breath as he fills her–and then, her hips begin to rock back and forth. He feels so good–warm and thick–and slowly she begins to lift herself. Each time, she lifts herself a little more and then slides back down until she’s riding him roughly. Her breasts bounce, giving him a show she knows he’s enjoying–and momentarily, her eyes slide to Mal, watching as she fingers herself as she watches.

Feeling his cock beginning to twitch, she sinks back down, rolling her hips as she looks him in the eye–watching as his face tightens and then, warmth floods her as her comes. She continues to roll her hips, low moans escaping her as she kneads her breasts, letting her eyes close as her second orgasm nears.

Then, suddenly, she feels Mal shift toward her, her lips crashing down on her neck–and it occurs to her that this is breaking the rule. But her head falls back as Mal’s hands come up over her breasts, rolling her nipples between her fingers as she nips at neck. Robin continues to thrust, grunting as he comes–and with a wave of quick flick of her wrists, his hands are freed. He wastes no time, sitting up and holding her hips down against him–and then, in one fluid motion, he pushes her down onto her back, thrusting harder and deeper until she’s screaming out as a second orgasm overcomes her.

Mal’s fingers slip between her legs, pressing at her clit as she rubs roughly, biting down on her earlobe as her eyes shift to Robin she whispers, “Oh, how the tables have turned…”

“Your Majesty,” he growls as her eyes roll back and almost immediately, a third orgasm begins.

When he slips out of her, he settles back against the pillows and she watches as an almost smug smile stretches over his lips. Her heart is beating wildly as she turns to look at Mal and she can’t help but grin as Mal leans in to kiss her.

Robin shifts toward them, his lips finding her jaw as they pull her up a little and their hands wander over her. Mal waves a hand, removing her corset–and she breathes out in relief, glad to be rid of it so that her skin can breathe. A soft laugh bubbles up as she pulls out of the kiss, her eyebrow arching as she realizes that Mal chose to leave on the stocking.

“What?” She asks, shrugging a shoulder as she looks between Regina and Robin. “I like them. The fantasy might be over, but…” Robin laughs as his hand brushes against Regina’s thigh, “These can stay.”

“You’re impossible,” she sighs, leaning back on her elbows.

“So, um… what spurred this,” Robin asks as his hand rubs over her hip. “Not that I’m complaining,” he’s quick to add. “I just…”

“I was bored,” she cuts in, looking between them. “And I missed you two.”

“Aww,” Mal purrs as her long fingers thread through Regina’s hair, tucking it behind her ear. “We should leave her home alone more often,” she says, arching her eyebrow at Robin as a chuckle rises into her voice. “I mean, if this is how she’s going to greet us…”

“Yes, but… why the costume?” Her heart flutters a bit as he looks at him, remembering the night he and Mal shared the fantasy with her. “How did you know?”

“Because you told her,” Mal blinks. “Don’t you remember? We had dinner and…” She laughs. “You finished off a bottle of wine all on your own and…” Her voice trails off and a grin pulls onto Regina’s lips, remembering just how drunk Robin was that night. “You’re such a lightweight.”

Robin scoffs and rolls his eyes, but he doesn’t argue–and for a moment, they all fall quiet.

“Mal, you didn’t get to…”

“Oh, I got myself off just fine,” she says, “That little hot-cold trick was… quite nice and so was the show the two of you put on for me.” Leaning in, she pecks her lips. “This was fun. Thank you.”

“Mm,” Robin agrees as he drops a kiss to Regina’s shoulder. “We should do it again sometime.”

“Or perhaps try another fantasy…”

Regina laughs and nods as Robin and Mal settle into a conversation about favorite fantasies–most of which involve her and are meant to be taken as hints–and their hands continuing to stroke her. It’s not lost on her how far they’ve come since that first conversation about this sort of thing–no longer feeling any need to hold back–and she’s glad for it. And she’s glad for them. That morning had been a reminder of a life she’d used to have, a life filled with only emptiness–and as she watches Robin lean in to peck Mal’s lips, watching the way she giggles into the kiss and watched as they turned their attention back to her, she’s glad to have left that life behind her.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While browsing through an online high-end auction site, Mal accidentally buys plane tickets to Paris.

Regina lets out an exasperated sigh as she drops her book down onto her lap and looks to Robin. Her eyes narrow a little as he slowly turns–likely feeling her gaze–and he dog-ears the page he’d been reading, and blinks at her with wide and confused eyes.

“It’s after midnight.”

“I… know,” he says in a tentative voice, watching as she bristles. “Can you please explain to me why I’m obviously supposed to be outraged that it’s after midnight?”

Regina’s eyes roll as slide down against her pillow. “She knows I can’t sleep unless everyone’s settled in.”

“Ah…” Robin murmurs as a soft chuckle rises into his voice and he rolls onto his side. “Well, last I checked she was on one of those high-end antique auction sites looking at… trinkets from Versailles.” He grins. “Marie Antoinette’s hair brush caught her eye…”

“We may not see her again for weeks.”

A smile pulls onto Robin’s lips as he reaches out and rubs his the back of his hand over her arm. “Well, that’s not true… it’d be irresponsible not to feed her.”

“You think you’re funny,” she says, turning her head on the pillow to look at him. “But you know I don’t like to sleep without both of you here.”

“I know…”

“It just feels…”

“Odd,” Robin supplies. “I get it…”

“Yeah…”

“Well, you know she gets when she sees something… new and shiny.”

A grin twists onto Regina’s lips. “It’s adorable, isn’t it?”

“It really is,” Robin says, laughing softly as he nods. “Do you want me to go get her? I know how to turn off the computer now…”

Regina blinks. “Unplugging it is not turning it off.”

“Well… the screen goes dark and you can’t use it anymore, so that’s… basically the same thing.”

“No,” she says, a giggle rises into her voice as she leans over and pecks his lips. “But… it’s endearing.”

Robin’s hand slides over her hip as his lips slide over her jaw, and a little laugh escapes her as her arms come up around his shoulders. His lips find the spot just beneath her earlobe and her head falls back against the pillow as lets out a breathy sigh–and just as her fingers curl around the fabric of his her shirt, the door opens and he pulls away.

“Oh…am I… interrupting?” Mal asks from the doorway.

“Never…”

“We were actually just talking about you.”

Mal’s brow arches and she shakes her head. “Yes, that’s exactly what it looked like you were doing… talking.” Regina’s eyes roll as Mal crosses the room, and sits down on the foot of them bed. “And since you’re both in a… talking mood… there’s… something I should tell you.”

Robin and Regina exchange glances as they settle back onto either side of the bed.

“I… might have just purchased… three tickets to Paris.”

“What?!”

“Paris…”

“Possibly. I’m not entirely sure.”

“How!?” Regina blinks. “Mal, that’s… how can you not be sure?”

Mal’s shoulder shrug as she looks between them. “It’s… confusing. There are lots of buttons and… things that flash and… pretty pictures and… colors…”

“Oh my god, Mal,” Regina says, trying her best to cheek her voice even. “One of those boxes usually asks if you’re sure. Did you click that?”

“Well, I am sure…” she says defensively as she looks between them. “We all had such a good time in Bora Bora… it’d be nice to get away again, enjoy some time together in a beautiful place… drink wine and eat baguettes and…” She laughs as her eyes widen, “Get lost in the Louvre or Versailles or the Grand Palais.”

Robin chuckles as Regina’s eyes narrow. “Somehow I’m starting to doubt that this was an accident.”

“It was,” Mal insists as she reaches out and swirls her fingers around Regina’s ankle and her eyes shift to Robin. “But… I can’t say I’m sorry about it.”

“She makes a good point,” Robin says. “Bora Bora was an incredible week.”

Regina sighs. “I just don’t understand how…” Then her voice halts and a grin tugs onto her lips as she remembers how good it felt to be in the warm, tropical breeze–how good it felt to be away from Storybrooke, away from prying eyes and hushed whispers, away from social obligations and responsibilities–in a place where their only concern was enjoying each other. “So, when are these tickets for?”

“Oh, I… didn’t check,” Mal murmurs as she stretches out between them. “I just kept thinking about… the three of us in Paris and…” Her voice trails off as she rolls onto her back, offering them a content sigh as she rests her head on Robin’s shoulder. “It all happened so fast.”  
Regina laughs softly as she rolls onto her side, brushing her lips against Mal’s cheek. “I’ll show you how to check the dates and…probably change the dates in the morning.”

“Does this mean we’re going to Paris?” Robin asks, turning his head on the pillow to look at Regina, and pressing a quick kiss into Mal’s hair. “Because I wouldn’t be opposed to that.”

“It appears that way,” Regina says with a sigh, as reaches over to turn off the lamp, making the room go dark. “I guess we’ll let you know in the morning.”

“Oh, there’s… just one more thing,” Mal says just as Regina’s voice trails off. “There… might be a package coming for me tomorrow. Just… ignore it.”

“You ordered that hair brush, didn’t you?” Robin asks flatly. “The one with the ivory and the gold…”

“It was just so pretty and… I just… I couldn’t help it.”

Regina groans loudly and before she can even allow herself to be annoyed, she feels herself start to laugh. Shaking her head she sighs and rolls onto her side, cuddling against Mal as she thinks of the dragon’s growing hoard and how absolutely endearing–albeit a little vexing–that is, and how it makes her love her all the more.


End file.
